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.
1970s Handcrafted Resin Table Lamps by Aro Leuchten, Germany
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pair of handcrafted resin lamps produced in the 1970s by Aro Leuchten. Sculptural design, typical of 1970s European lighting. The resin softly diffuses light, creating a warm atmosph...
Resin
$3,600Sale Price|25% Off
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
Steel
$1,500Sale Price|40% Off
Adjustable Table Lamp
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Adjustable table lamp. Located in NY.
Chrome, Metal
$748Sale Price / item|15% Off
H 13.77 in W 3.7 in D 3.7 in
Lumina Daphinette LED Table Lamp in Brushed Nickel by Tommaso Cimini
By Tommaso Cimini, Lumina
Located in New York, NY
Table standing lamp in metal with an articulated arm and a diffusor pivoting on 360°. Available with halogen or LED light source. On/Off switch. On/Off switch Source: 1× 4W LED ...
Metal
$909
H 11.82 in Dm 9.85 in
Rare & Lovely Mid-Century Modern Cocoon Table Lamp by ARO Leuchten Germany 1960s
By Goldkant Leuchten, Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Carlo Scarpa, Linus Bopp, Friedel Wauer
Located in München, BY
Rare and lovely Mid Century Modern cocoon table lamp. Designed and manufactured by ARO Leuchten, Germany, 1970s. Manufacturers label under the base and lamp shade holder. Executed i...
Metal
Goldkant, Table Lamps, Resin, Plastic, Germany, 1970s
Located in High Point, NC
A pair of off white polymer resin and plastic table lamps produced by Goldkant, Germany, c. 1970s. In good vintage condition, with visible wear consistent with age and use. Patina ...
Resin, Plastic
German Designer, Table Lamp, Plastic, Resin, Germany, 1970s
Located in High Point, NC
A beige plastic and plastic polymer resin table lamp designed and produced in Germany, c. 1970s. Overall Dimensions (inches): 10" Height x 7" Diameter Bulb Specifications: E-14 (Eu...
Resin, Plastic
Goldkant, Table Lamps, Resin, Plastic, Germany, 1970s
Located in High Point, NC
A pair of off white polymer resin and plastic table lamps produced by Goldkant, Germany, c. 1970s. In good vintage condition, with visible wear consistent with age and use. Patina ...
Plastic, Resin
Form Leuchten Hollywood Brass Table lamps 1970s Germany
Located in Den Haag, NL
Very nice pair column Table lamps , Very good quality lamps . Two tone Brass .4 columns each . Comes with there original shades , still in a very good condition . 3 large E27 bulbs n...
Brass
$1,096Sale Price / item|15% Off
H 17.72 in W 15.75 in D 17.72 in
Lumina Daphine LED Table Lamp in Brushed Nickel by Tommaso Cimini
By Tommaso Cimini, Lumina
Located in New York, NY
Table standing lamp of metal with an articulated pivoting arm, the head can rotate 360°. The light source is a 8W-LED controlled by a switch which can be set in ways: on/half light/o...
Metal
Rare Adjustable Midcentury Table Lamp, 1970s
Located in Praha, CZ
- rare type - marked - adjustable - very nice style of lighting
Metal, Chrome
$1,250 / set
H 36.5 in W 5.5 in D 6 in
Lovely Pair of Brushed Brass Laurel Lamps Mid-century Danish Modern
Located in Pemberton, NJ
Lovely pair of mid-century modern brushed brass laurel lamps with walnut details.
Walnut
$4,475 / set
H 27.5 in Dm 16 in
Art Deco Machine Age Table Lamps in Brushed Aluminum & Glass by Russell Wright
Located in New York, NY
This refined pair of Art Deco Machine Age table lamps were realized by the fabled industrial Designer Russell Wright in the United States circa 1935. They feature circular volumetric...
Aluminum
Vintage Brown Adjustable Table Lamp, 1960s
Located in Kojetice, CZ
This dark brown industrial desk lamp was made in former Czechoslovakia during the 1960s. The lamp has an aluminium shade, a wooden base and iron arm with two adjustable joints. Orig...
Iron, Aluminum
$1,249Sale Price / item|15% Off
H 16.93 in W 15.36 in D 16.93 in
Lumina Flo Desk Lamp in Brushed Nickel by Foster+Partners
Located in New York, NY
LED light for desk, in varnish coated aluminum and steel. Its head rotates by 300° for direct lighting, the arm pivots on base by 120°. 6W-LED which you can switch on with one click ...
Aluminum
Midcentury Adjustable Table Lamp, 1980s
Located in Praha, CZ
- Made in Czechoslovakia - Made of metal, steel - Re-polished - Fully functional - Good, original condition.
Metal, Steel
$2,200 / set
H 36 in W 6 in D 6 in
Pair of Modernist Table Lamps, Brushed Nickel and Sculptural Metal, 1970s
By Paul Evans
Located in Stamford, CT
A pair of modernist table lamps, Brushed Nickel and Sculptural Metal, circa 1970s. Brushed Nickel and Gilt Metal Brutalist, Geometrically Inspired Lamps, recently re-wired; shade...
Metal
$1,773Sale Price|20% Off
H 26.78 in W 13.39 in D 9.45 in
Wood and Brushed Steel Egg Lamp with Wooden Shade, circa 1970
Located in Marcq-en-Barœul, Hauts-de-France
This very nice and rare egg table lamp is made of wood and brushed steel with a thin wooden shade. This is a beautiful French work, in the style of Philip...
Steel