Woodworker's Journal 1985-9-1, страница 31
followed therefore that in their labors they expressed their devotion. Mother Ann Lee asked them to, "Put your hands to work and your hearts to God" and, "Do your work as though you had a thousand years to live, and as if you were to die tomorrow." It is not easy for 20th Century individuals to fathom exactly what motivated the fervent religious and evangelical crusades that periodically swept the western world during the late 18th and early 19th Centuries. The personal history of Mother Ann Lee, however, chronicles a miserable childhood, working in sweatshops in the industrial city of Manchester. Married young, apparently against her will, with four children who in quick succession died in infancy, it is not difficult to understand why she established celibacy as a central tenet in her beliefs. Of the Shakers' curious way of living, most curious of all was their mode of worship. Wild gyrations, speaking in tongues, dancing about, and screaming "love-love-love" are but a few of the actions that somehow seem maple, strong and functional. Victorian Shaker work, on the other hand, was complex and even ornate, with applied moldings, complex turnings and elaborate commercially made hardware. Because the quintessential Shaker style was primarily produced during the Classic period, we shall concentrate on it. Overall, the Classic Shaker style can be characterized by one word — simplicity. Form was totally dependent on function, and all forms of decoration and ornamentation were considered ostentatious. By simplifying and refining traditional designs, the Shaker craftsmen arrived at a style that was at once both unmistakable and broadly appealing. The clean lines and sensible proportions in their work contrasted favorably with the increasingly complex adornment and ponderous size of some styles of 19th Century furnishings. It was a Shaker belief that no piece or part should be any larger or heavier than was absolutely necessary. This ideal was responsible for the graceful, almost delicate lines in so much of their best work, and the fact that in no way, shape or form were the designs given to excess. Without question, the golden age of Shaker design was but a short period, roughly from 1820-1850. This period was characterized by exquisite workmanship, fine joinery, and most especially, ■excellence of design. These were the years that the Classic Shaker work we admire today was executed. These were the years when the subtleties of Shaker design — the look of understated elegance — reached its height. Finely tapered table legs, delicately turned spindles, and forms that seemed to work so perfectly that no part or fixture seemed out of place — this was the epitome of Shaker craftsmanship. Art historians today agree that Shaker designs had their origins in a combination of elements — most prominently the Colonial style and the work of the two great cabinetmakers, Sheraton and Hepplewhite. This conclusion is supported by the knowledge that many of the Shaker craftsmen were already skilled cabinetmakers when they joined the communities, having been trained or apprenticed in the best New England woodworking traditions prior to their religious conversion. The so-called Shaker style was therefore actually a refinement of established woodworking expertise, with respect to the Shaker philosophy of simplicity in design, and form reflecting function. (continued on next page) Woodworkers' Hardware ORDER FORM Qty. Total Birch Mug Peg $ S .22 ea Sirch Shaker Peg STire-^a. s .2S. ea Oak Shaker Peg S .26/60,. Birch 6 inch _Furmture Spindles r.Tfy^. s <!.«.. 8 1/2 Inch S^WS^efl. $ .51/ea._ #S4 Galley Spindle S^^a-JO S 1.50/10. 3 a' ^STS-S^p S3.S7.-C 7 8" S>7»SiC S4.77/C, 1" SBv^liC ss.oo/c 1 1 ST^ft&JC $8.01/C~ 11, 2- $11.01/C Wheels 2" sStride sia.oo/d ppAP1 Axle Peg Fits 1" lo2" Wheel S4.17/C, Wood Cargo gn Drum 10 S2.31/10_ Milk Can h tin OH D'um FVkl, y S3 -or... i o si.eo/io_ Pickle Barrel ftawijo $2.31/10_ Screw Hole Buttons a/B'STrSQiC S1.74/C_ 1/2* jt.-S&iC S1.77/C_ i Dowel Pins 3/B"«2* S^&iC S1.77/C_ Wood 3/4" sTrs«ilp s.90/10 _ /^V Knobs $Ti?9&£C S7.77/C_ I r\ 1' flattop $1.40/10.. -( ir rV sfTHOic si2.84/c_ -V W 1 1 /4* St.S0/10_ - NSW^ SflWHiiC S13,80/C_ -w 1 3/4"j5^(kJ0 S2.20/10_ - .......ifaWiC S 20.7 9/C, Saw Tooth Hangers —.«■! S4.75/C_ @ ° H Picture Hanger U-ij-kt "5?:«S.,C S4.17/C_ =°^iClock Movements w/Hands I 072 sforeo^sa. SB,48/««. Lazy Susan Bearing 3" $ .59 «n_ 4" "^Y.-SO^ea- S 3C »n.__ e-'S^-Mja. S1.73/U,_ Brass Piated Candle Cup s^vea^io S3.oo/io_ S^3tOJJ, C SS9.40C_ Coat and Hat Hook S iTn^a.. si 67 »»_ Brass Wreath SB-moo ss.10/10_ Brass Anchor S3.30 10_ Brass Pit. Eagle *378 sTTftoao S2.16/10_ Escutcheon Pins lor Above $"?SSvC_5 .57'C_ #928 Butt Hinge S1.es/10__ •S3 +F124 Screw I or Above SJTW^C S2.40/C_ Clipboard Clips 3* S^ft^H- S ,35/ea ___ 6" rrsii^a. s .59 oa._ Plastic Shell Pins "S^TOOiC S5.40C_ .._______________ No1 B C = IOO or Ir B B with ardar Total Ordar __ . S 2 5.00 MM Hbb.- Is* ____ Shipping : Shipping_ tot« enclos.d_ £5.00 j^Jvisa QMositr Card Hawaii, Canada & j Q Catalog S1.00 | | Minimum Ordar I [ Qftfer Amount : j $25.00 la $49.99 t $50,00 to 599.99 Over 5100.00 MONEY BACK j GUARANTEE! [ SIGNATURE . j CAfiONO -(NAM! _ 4P0 Order■ Ada 50.00 VISA' LAOOflESS , fSTATE MEISEL HARDWARE SPECIALTIES PO Box 258- J, Mound. Minnesota 55364 * (512) 472-5544 Chest of Drawers incongruous with our image of their disciplined, controlled daily life. In any event, the legacy that the Shakers left was not so much their peculiar manner of worship or unusual lifestyle, but a woodworking and furniture design tradition that is considered to have been one of the major influences, not only on art and design today, but for the last 100 years. Shaker design can be divided roughly into three periods: the Early or Primitive period, from 1790-1820; the Classic period, from about 1820-1860; and the Later or Victorian Shaker period, between 1860 and 1900, when their designs became somewhat more elaborate, and less indentifiably Shaker. Early Shaker work was plain, crudely made, usually of pine or |
