The Shakers Furniture

The Shakers furniture

        The dream of a Utopia bring to mind a perfect society to live in. However,

the majority of people think that a utopia does not really exist and it is

impossible to live in Utopia. Even so, some people gathered and established their

own utopian societies in America in the 18th and 19th century. Shakers is one of

the most stable and successful Utopian community. This community formally

called as the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, which

originated from England. They improve their own technologies and made many

inventions. At one time, the Shaker were known not only as a successful utopian

American society, but also as inventive people with outstanding artifacts. Based

on their religious convictions, they created distinctive and unique artifacts;

especially, Shakers furniture is well known for its unusual style and has gained

popularity still today.

        At the beginning, the Shakers were founded in England in 1770 by Ann

Lee and consisted of five men and three women. Ann Lee was considered

“Mother” by her followers. Early Shakers had been dissatisfied with the Anglican

church and its system, so they left England and came to America in 1774. After

they arrived America, they settled in Wateryliet, New York, and Albany. The main

reason they escaped England was to establish a utopian society that they wanted.

Nearly 6,000 Shaker believers lived together from Maine to Indiana in 19th 

century (Vincent, 2). They were the largest and most successful group, however,

only one Shaker community group remains in Sabbath Day Lake, Maine today.

The Shakers opposed the values of American society, so they have their own

value and philosophy. There are three principles of their faith: purity, community,

and separation. These essential principles of Shaker’s faith based on celibacy,

equality of sexes, utility, simplicity, community of goods, oral confession of sin,

pacifism, honesty and withdrawal (Pratt).

        Shaker dissented other societies’ value or objects. They tried to separate

from the outside world and they have to make all kinds of things. As a result,

they became a self-sufficient society and they grew their own food and made all

kinds of stuff that they needed. For this reason, Shakers had great artistic

development. Shaker’s furniture is a distinctive style of furniture compared to

other American styles. Well-made furniture showed the Shakers’ principles of

honesty, utility, simplicity and other factors. They rejected excessive ornament in

their furniture such as carvings, metal pulls, and inlays because they thought it

encouraged the sin of pride and damaged their values (John, 2). As a result,

furniture makers avoided using other ornaments, focused on overall form,

proportions and comfortable usability. Materials to make furniture include cherry,

maple and pine lumber(Swank, 158). They could painted the furniture blue, yellow

or green. Designs of Shaker furniture was given inspiration to modern furniture

designers. The Shaker obtained patents for the wooden ball and socket chair tilter

which is a representative model for Shaker furniture and this style can be found

in all types of chairs today. Their simple design influenced not only America but

also Japanese and European furniture designs as well.