Shaker Furniture
Shaker Style
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.
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Style: Shaker
Early 20th Century American Shaker Pile Carpet ( 3' x 23'3" - 92 x 708 )
Located in New York, NY
Rare Early 20th Century American Shaker Pile Carpet ( 3' x 23'3" - 92 x 708 )
Category
1920s American Vintage Shaker Furniture
Materials
Wool
Early 20th Century American Shaker Rag Rug ( 3' x 26' - 90 x 792 )
Located in New York, NY
Early 20th Century American Shaker Rag Rug ( 3' x 26' - 90 x 792 )
Category
1910s Vintage Shaker Furniture
Materials
Cotton, Wool
Jim Rose Legacy Collection - Tall Cabinet, Shaker Inspired Steel Cupboard
By Jim Rose
Located in Chicago, IL
This is a totally functional tall one door cupboard with two exterior drawers and one hidden drawer. It is created from naturally rusted, salvaged and recycled ship building steel. Inspired by the Shaker aesthetic, this piece is all about clean lines and functionality and is a model of modern industrial sustainable design. Four interior shelves allow for a variety of uses.
Jim Rose Legacy Collection
Tall Cabinet, 2003
found steel with natural rust patina
80h x 23w x 16d in
203.20h x 58.42w x 40.64d cm
Jim Rose
b. 1966, d. 2023
Bio
Born in Indiana, Jim Rose lived in Europe until he returned to the United States to attend college. After one year at Bard College, Jim transferred to the School of the Art Institute in Chicago (SAIC) where he graduated in 1988 with a BFA. His skillful interpretation of the Shaker design is a result of intense research and field study of Shaker furniture, architecture, culture and history. After over two decades of dedicated work, he has mastered the minimalism of the Shaker technique and created his own unique visual vernacular. The quilts of Gee's Bend have become a monumental influence taking this artist's work to new levels of unique interpretation and artistry. His selection of aged steel results in a patina directly related to that of aged wood while his colored strips beautifully mimic worn cloth. Each piece of furniture is masterfully made and intended for daily use. Jim Rose’s steel furniture is featured every year at SOFA Chicago for the past 25 years.
Jim Rose
b. 1966, Wisconsin
Education:
1989 B.F.A., Sculpture, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, IL
1988 Student at Large, Welding Technology, Triton College, Chicago, IL
1985 Undergraduate Photography Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York
Awards:
2008 Wisconsin Arts Board Fellowship Award, Madison, WI
2005 Elizabeth R. Raphael Founder’s Prize, Society for Contemporary Craft, Pittsburgh, PA
2003 Grant Recipient for Shaker Interpretations in Cast Iron, PA Arts Assoc / WI Arts Board
2003 Arts/Industry Residency Program for Visual Artists, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Solo Exhibitions:
2017 New Work, Tory Folliard Gallery, Milwaukee, WI
2012 Simply Steel, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, WI
2007 Variation, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL
2003 New Work, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL
2001 Shaker in Steel / New Work, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL
2000 Shaker in Steel / New Work, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL
1999 Hands and Heart to Steel III, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL
National Exhibitions:
2017-2018 SOFA Chicago – Gallery Victor Armendariz
2016 - 1995 SOFA Chicago, New York, Palm Beach - Ann Nathan Gallery
2011 - 2002 Art Chicago - Ann Nathan Gallery
Group Exhibitions:
2017 Coming Attractions: Inaugural Exhibition, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago, IL
2017 Living with Art: The Newman Collection, 108 Contemporary, Tulsa, Oklahoma
2016 Form Follows Function: The Intersection of Art and Craft, The Hardy Gallery, Ephraim, Wi
2015 NEO, Chipstone Foundation, Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI
2015 ICFF, Furniture Society, Javits Convention Center, New York City, NY
2013 Vahki Revisited, The Enduring Spirit of a Craft Collection” Mesa Contemporary Arts,
Mesa, AZ
2013 Fearless Furniture, Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites, Indianapolis, IN
2013 Inaugural Exhibition, Museum Wisconsin of Art, West Bend, WI
2012 Sitting Pretty: Furniture from RAM’s Collection, Racine Art Museum, WI
2011 Hiding Places: Memory in the Arts, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, WI
2010 Living with Art, Strohl Art Center, Chautauqua Institution, NY
2009 Summer in Wisconsin, Tory Folliard Gallery, Milwaukee, WI
2009 High Honors, James Watrous Gallery, Madison, WI
2008 Second Lives: Remixing the Ordinary, Museum of Art and Design, NY
2007 Transformation 5: Contemporary Works in Found Materials, Art Association, Jackson, WY
2007 Transformation 5: Contemporary Works in Found Materials, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Houston, TX (traveling exhibition)
2006 Show us Your Drawers, Herron School of Art, Indianapolis, IN
2006 Marriage of the Minds, Fairfield Center for Contemporary Art, Sturgeon Bay, WI
2006 27th Annual Contemporary Crafts, Mesa Contemporary Arts, Mesa, AZ
2006 Containers of All Dimensions, Mesa Contemporary Arts, Mesa, AZ
2005 Transformation 5: Contemporary Works in Found Materials, Society for Contemporary Craft, Pittsburgh, PA
2004 Right at Home: American Studio Furniture, Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.
2004 American Collections, Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI
2004 More Than Drawers-Wisconsin Cabinets, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, WI
2004 Objects of Wonder, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, WI
2003 Planting, Potting and Pruning, Wustum Museum of Fine Art, Racine, WI
2003 Men at Work, Miller Art Museum, Sturgeon Bay, WI
2002 Case Pieces: Contemporary Studio Furniture, Elvehjem Museum of Art, Univ of WI-Madison
2002 Sitting Pretty: Contemporary Wisconsin Chairs...
Category
Early 2000s American Shaker Furniture
Materials
Steel
Vintage Rabat Moroccan Medallion Rug with Transylvanian Anatolian Style
Located in Dallas, TX
73993, vintage Berber Rabat Moroccan Medallion rug with Transylvanian Anatolian style. This hand knotted wool vintage Rabat Moroccan rug beautifully highlights Anatolian and Transylv...
Category
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Shaker Furniture
Materials
Wool
Antique Turkish Malayer Design Rug
Located in Dallas, TX
52563 Antique Turkish Malayer Rug Runner, 04'02 x 12'02. Turkish Malayer rug runners are meticulously handcrafted, long and narrow rugs blending Turkish and Persian influences, feat...
Category
Early 20th Century Turkish Shaker Furniture
Materials
Wool
Distressed Vintage Turkish Sivas Rug with Rustic William and Mary Style
Located in Dallas, TX
52652 Distressed Vintage Turkish Sivas Rug with Rustic William and Mary Style 09'00 x 12'04. With its neutral color palette, straight and curved lines, this hand knotted wool distres...
Category
Mid-20th Century Turkish Shaker Furniture
Materials
Wool
Vintage Turkish Oushak Rug with Shaker Style and Neutral Colors
Located in Dallas, TX
52459, vintage Turkish Oushak rug with Shaker style and neutral colors. This hand knotted wool vintage Turkish Oushak rug features a subtle all-over lattice pattern spread across a w...
Category
Mid-20th Century Turkish Shaker Furniture
Materials
Wool
Vintage Turkish Oushak Rug with Amish-Shaker Style, Short Hallway Runner
Located in Dallas, TX
51025, vintage Turkish Oushak rug with Amish-Shaker style, short hallway runner. This hand knotted wool vintage Turkish Oushak rug features a subtle all-over Mina Khani pattern sprea...
Category
Mid-20th Century Turkish Shaker Furniture
Materials
Wool
Vintage Turkish Oushak Rug with Cottage Shaker Style
Located in Dallas, TX
52475, vintage Turkish Oushak rug with Cottage Shaker style. Featuring a large center medallion on an abrashed pastel backdrop, this hand knotted wool vintage Turkish Oushak rug with...
Category
Mid-20th Century Turkish Shaker Furniture
Materials
Wool
Shabby Chic Persian Malayer Rug
Located in New York, NY
An earth toned shabby chic persian malayer rug
5'2'' x 11'2''
We love the natural wear on this rug because it shows a real taste of the life tha...
Category
Early 20th Century Persian Shaker Furniture
Materials
Wool
Adjustable Table Lamp
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Adjustable table lamp. Located in NY.
Category
1970s French Vintage Shaker Furniture
Materials
Chrome, Metal
Francoise See Large Brushed Steel Lamp
By Françoise See
Located in Brooklyn, NY
rare brushed steel lamp designed by Francoise See in the 1970's
located in NY
Category
20th Century French Shaker Furniture
Materials
Steel
Shaker Dining Table, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
This elegant Japanese kimono stand dates to the early 20th century and is an updated example of traditional garment racks used to display silk ob...
Category
Mid-19th Century American Antique Shaker Furniture
Materials
Hardwood, Oak
Stephen Von Hohen Bucks Co. Collection Pine Shaker Style 2 Piece Step Back Cabin
Located in Parkesburg, PA
Stephen Von Hohen Bucks Co. Collection Pine Shaker Style 2 Piece Step Back Cabinet
Pine, Custom Hand Made, Dovetailed Drawers, Wavy Glass Top Doors,...
Category
Late 20th Century North American Shaker Furniture
Materials
Pine
Contemporary Shaker Style Flat-Weave Carpet ( 10' x 14' - 305 x 427 cm )
Located in New York, NY
Contemporary Shaker Style Flat-Weave Carpet ( 10' x 14' - 305 x 427 cm )
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Shaker Furniture
Materials
Wool
Shaker furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Shaker furniture for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage furniture created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include rugs and carpets, seating, tables and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, fabric and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Shaker furniture made in a specific country, there are North America, United States, and Asia pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original furniture, popular names associated with this style include Jim Rose, Carter Ellis, Charleston Forge, and Ercol. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for furniture differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $100 and tops out at $25,000 while the average work can sell for $3,200.
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