An American folk art tradition, Shaker furniture stemmed from the Quaker-influenced religious community. Former Quakers who embraced the values of pacifism, celibacy, Christianity, and communal endeavors started the Shaker community in mid-18th-century England. They obtained their name from the term “Shaking Quakers,” which reflected ritual ecstatic dancing. The group pioneered gender and racial equality beliefs.

Establishing themselves in the US in 1774, the Shaker communities expanded across New England, Kentucky, and Ohio by the early 19th century. At their peak in the mid-1800s, they numbered around 5,000.

Known for integrity and quality, the Shakers designed and marketed several highly sought-after items, including patent medicines, packaged seeds, chairs, and stackable bentwood oval boxes in various colors and sizes. The items reflected their purposes and function without frills and unnecessary embellishments. They fulfilled their intended use and lacked moldings and inlays.

For example, the community made the Shaker chair from inexpensive wood such as pine. Lightweight and sturdy, owners could install the austere design in walls or hang it on pegs during room cleanings. They could easily put them away when owners needed a large communal space for worship services.

The Shaker design ethos, embodied in the Millennial Laws of 1821 and 1845, aimed to “make every product better than it’s ever been done before.” Craftspeople paid the same attention to the details as they did to the whole. Therefore, what they produced became a work of art, which some see as forward-thinking. Researchers believe the Shakers anticipated functionalist design concepts that took root in the 20th century.

When designing and building furniture, the Shakers distinguished between community chairs, destined for personal use, and production chairs. They standardized production chairs, making them similar and customizable. For example, a customer could select a chair in eight sizes, ranging from 0 to 7. Each could incorporate rockers, arms, cloth tape, or wooden-slat backs. Chairs also had a shawl bar option. Set between the back posts at the top, the shawl bar allowed placement of a blanket or shawl to increase cushioning and comfort and prevent chilling back drafts.

Selling production furniture and boxes allowed the Shaker communities to become self-sufficient. They also designed and produced various items for daily life, such as flat brooms, circular saws, pegs, false teeth, and even a unique early fire-engine.

In 1822, Brother Thomas Corbett developed the pumper in the Canterbury, New Hampshire Shaker community, setting it on wheels and calling it a “hand tub.” A team of 24 people organized bucket brigades to supply water and pump a half-inch stream of water 60 feet. The Shakers incorporated a suction pump and hose, which helped draw water directly from ponds and streams. The device helped protect the Shakers’ wood-built structures, and they used it to shoot a stream of water over the burning Church Family dwelling belfry in 1838. It also made bucket brigades obsolete.

By the mid-20th century, collectors and museums worldwide sought Shaker furniture, such as the Shaker Museum in Auburn, Kentucky, and the Fruitlands Museum in Harvard, Massachusetts. Moreover, contemporary Scandinavian designers and Americans such as George Nakashima took inspiration from its simplicity and utility.