Shaker Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Authentic Shaker furniture is hard to come by, but not exceedingly rare. “Shaker style” describes furnishings and interiors that are both warm and simple, centered on unpretentious wooden chairs, tables and cabinets without ornament or embellishment.
The term derives from the popular name for an all-but-vanished American religious sect, whose members crafted honest, modest household furniture and objects as part of their belief in purposeful living and simplicity in all things.
Members of the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing — called Shakers, derisively, because they writhed and danced in religious ecstasy during worship — arrived in the United States from England in 1774. Within 50 years, the sect had established 19 self-sufficient communities from Maine to Kentucky, where they lived pure, humble and industrious lives. The furniture and objects the Shakers made reflected their strict rules of behavior. Pieces such as ladder- and slat-back chairs and trestle tables were painstakingly crafted from native woods like maple and cherry, using traditional methods such as mortise-and-tenon and dovetail joinery and lathe turning. They employed strong, straight lines and symmetrical proportions, and decoration of any kind — carving, veneers, inlays — was prohibited, as it would encourage the sins of pride and vanity.
The Shakers movement included some 6,000 members at its peak in the 1860s, but the group practiced celibacy and could attempt to sustain their flock only by recruiting new adherents. Modernity proved too alluring. Today only one tiny Shaker community, in Maine, still exists, though the sect’s heritage is preserved at several historical sites.
To support their communities, the Shakers sold furniture to outsiders, who appreciated its superb quality. While the “Shaker style” label is today given to many plain, simple wooden pieces, it should also denote superior construction and solid materials. As elements in interior design, Shaker furnishings work best in a quiet decor. Modest pieces such as these can become lost among more ornate works. The style is most suitable to a country home — although a Shaker chair or cabinet can make a striking counterpoint in a modernist, urban setting.
As you will see on 1stDibs, Shaker furniture and objects have a deep appeal for their warmth, honesty and graceful simplicity, which make them welcome almost anywhere.
Early 2000s American Shaker Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Steel
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Shaker Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Fir
Early 2000s American Shaker Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Steel
Early 2000s American Shaker Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Steel
1990s American Shaker Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Steel
2010s American Shaker Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Steel
Late 20th Century American Shaker Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Glass, Cherry
2010s North American Shaker Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Walnut
Late 20th Century American Shaker Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
2010s Shaker Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Steel
Late 20th Century American Shaker Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
Late 20th Century North American Shaker Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Pine
19th Century English Antique Shaker Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Mirror, Hardwood
2010s Italian Shaker Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood, Walnut
Early 2000s American Shaker Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Laminate
Early 20th Century Italian Shaker Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Walnut, Fir
Mid-20th Century Italian Shaker Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
19th Century English Antique Shaker Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Hardwood
1880s American Antique Shaker Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Tin
Late 18th Century British Antique Shaker Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
1970s American Vintage Shaker Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble, Steel
19th Century American Antique Shaker Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
1950s Swedish Vintage Shaker Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Steel
1970s Vintage Shaker Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
Late 20th Century American Shaker Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
Mid-19th Century American Antique Shaker Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Maple
19th Century American Antique Shaker Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood, Mahogany
Late 20th Century American Shaker Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Cherry
1990s Shaker Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Cherry
Late 20th Century American Shaker Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood, Cherry
Late 19th Century Antique Shaker Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Walnut
Late 19th Century American Antique Shaker Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
2010s North American Shaker Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Walnut
Early 1900s Italian Antique Shaker Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Poplar
19th Century American Antique Shaker Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Pine
1930s American Vintage Shaker Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Oak