Authentic antique 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 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.
Shaker furniture and objects have a deep appeal for their warmth, honesty and graceful simplicity, which make them welcome almost anywhere.
Find antique Shaker furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Antique Shaker Berry Basket by W. W. Miller, Wood, circa 1910
Located in Coral Gables, FL
Antique Shaker berry basket signed W. W. Miller, finely constructed in wood with a warm, darkened finish and naturally developed patina. The basket features a compact oval form made ...
Maple
Swedish Folk Art Birch-Bark Cradle Basket
Located in Stockholm, SE
Rustic and beautiful folk art birch-bark cradle basket from Sweden. The basket is crafted in a traditional Nordic artisanal style, made from woven birch bark and leather. The upper e...
Birch, Leather
Vintage Woven Rattan Shaker Basket With Handle
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This vintage woven rattan basket pairs a rectangular body with an arched handle, drawing on the spare, practical character of Shaker design. Tightly woven strands give it a sturdy ye...
Rattan
Vintage Oval Woven Rattan Basket with Lid and Geometric Motifs
Located in Yonkers, NY
A Chinese vintage unusual oval-shaped rattan basket from the mid-20th century, with lid and geometric motifs. Crafted in China during the midcentury period, this woven rattan basket...
Rattan
Vintage French Provincial Rattan Handled Basket, 1950
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Vintage rattan picnic basket, 1950s, France. Mid-Century Modern vintage French Provincial rattan handled shopping basket, made out of woven rattan. The...
Rattan
$225 / item
H 19 in W 16.5 in D 10 in
Vintage Woven Rattan Carrying Basket with Large Tripartite Handle
Located in Yonkers, NY
A vintage woven rattan carrying basket from the mid-20th century, with large handle. This mid-century vintage carrying basket, skillfully crafted from...
Wood, Rattan
19th Century French Folk Art Storage Basket
Located in Allerum, SE
Unusually large 19th century French folk art storage basket. coiled construction with straw and bark. Ca 1890 France.
Straw
$575 / item
H 14 in W 16.25 in D 12 in
Vintage Burmese Hand-Woven Rattan over Wood Basket Hamper with Pierced Handles
Located in Yonkers, NY
A vintage Burmese hand-woven rattan over wood lidded basket from the mid 20th century, with pierced handles. We have several available, priced and sold $490 each. Crafted in Burma du...
Rattan, Wood
Vintage Chinese Wicker Hen Baskets, Handwoven Rattan, 1970s Folk Art
Located in Coral Gables, FL
Pair of vintage Chinese wicker hen baskets, circa 1970s, handwoven in natural rattan, wicker, and bamboo reed with carved and painted wood details. Each small-scale hen features a ro...
Rattan
Wooden Octagonal Tramp or Folk Art Basket, 20th Century
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
An octagonal decorative wooden tramp art basket. Created from popsicle sticks, this basket is lightweight, perfect for holding remotes or other odds and en...
Wood
$525 / item
H 8 in W 24.25 in D 16.25 in
Vintage Rectangular Handwoven Rattan Basket with Wooden Side Handles
Located in Yonkers, NY
This vintage rectangular rattan basket is a clean, well-proportioned example of traditional handwoven storage, combining practicality with understated decorative appeal. Crafted from...
Rattan, Wood
Vintage Coastal Woven Basket with Wooden Handles
Located in Delray Beach, FL
Beautiful vintage handmade woven basket. Has wooden handles that are attached with layers of cane secured by nails. This is a vintage piece. Has picked up some beautiful patina and...
Bamboo, Cane
$1,705
H 14.97 in Dm 22.05 in
Large Antique Northern Swedish Woven Birch Root Decorative Basket with Handle
Located in Kramfors, SE
Large antique root basket from northern Sweden. The basket is woven with birch root around the 1880s and is unusually large. Good vintage condition with some minor marks and traces o...
Birch
Vintage Rattan Woven Basket.
Located in Seattle, WA
Bottom is Double Layered as Shown. Vintage Condition Consistent with Age as Pictured. Dimensions. 16 Diameter; 2 1/2 H
Rattan
Vintage Japanese Woven Tinted Bamboo Ikebana Basket with Handle
Located in Clifton Springs, NY
Vintage Japanese bamboo Ikebana basket was made of smoked split bamboo; sculptural, fan-like patterns at the rim were created by masterful use of tightly woven canes, emerging from t...
Bamboo, Rattan
Vintage Splint Bamboo Rattan Woven Storage Ikebana Basket
Located in Clifton Springs, NY
The vintage basket features square base and rounded top. The top is reinforced with bent bamboo, wrapped and braided with splints; two carved wooden legs are attached to the wooden ...
Bamboo, Wicker
Unavailable|$1,195
H 20.75 in Dm 12.25 in
Large Vintage Indigenous Canadian Lidded Birch Bark Painted Shoulder Basket
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
This large hand-crafted basket is unsigned, but presumed to have originated from Canada and date to approximately 1970 and done in the period indigenous Canadian...
Birch
Vintage Rattan Woven Basket
Located in Seattle, WA
Rustic Basket with Intricate Detailing. Possibly Bamboo Legs. Wear and Tear Consistent with age as Pictured. Dimensions. 12 W ; 12 D ; 21 H
Rattan
Turn of the Century Century Shaker "Picket Fence" Basket
Located in Nantucket, MA
Antique turn of the Century Century Shaker "Picket Fence" Basket, circa 1900, a rectangular work basket made of tulip - poplar wood with broad independent staves nailed to solid wood bottom and interconnected by heavy gauge wire, with opposing swing handles of twisted wire with turned wooden handles. Basket is in original dark red stain. This type of basket was only made in the Southern Shaker villages; this one was likely made in the South Union Community in Kentucky (1807 - 1922). Intended for pretty heavy duty work, such baskets were typically used for carrying laundry and gathering wood...
Wire
Oblong Wooden Basket
Located in New York, NY
Vintage basket with great shape & short, stout and sturdy handle. The basket was previously painted and has since been used so there is a worn patina of paint and wood. Great for sto...
Wicker, Wood
19th Century Shaker Herb Gathering Basket
Located in Chicago, IL
An incredible 19th century American shaker herb gathering basket with a double bentwood rim, two carved and bentwood handles, and a fantastic patina that only time can bestow. Can be...
Ash
19th Century American Oak Splint Basket
Located in Chicago, IL
A beautiful 19th century American gathering basket tightly woven with thin oak splints, a double-banded rim, and wonderful patina.
Oak
Large Antique Sycamore Dairy Bowl, English, 18th Century
Located in St Annes, Lancashire
Large sycamore dairy bowl crucially in unrestored condition. Wonderful colour and patina. Great condition. Please note we offer free shipping.
Sycamore