Shaker design
By: June Sprigg.
Contributors: Whitney Museum of American Art.; Corcoran Gallery of Art.
Publisher: Whitney Museum of American Art in association with Norton
Published: 1986
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 228
Subjects: Shaker decorative arts -- Exhibitions
Description: "The Shaker movement in America began in 1774 when Mother Ann Lee emigrated from Manchester, England, with a small group of followers, and settled in New York State. Despite impoverished beginnings, the Shakers flourished in the early nineteenth century, and by 1840 there were four to six thousand members living in eighteen principle communities from Maine to Kentucky. Turning away from society, they lived in large families that were both celibate and communal. In striving for heaven on earth, they created a visual environment of such harmony and quiet power that it continues to impress observers today, when the Shakers have all but passed from the American scene. The many works presented in this beautiful volume reveal the Shaker commitment to excellence in all matters. The chairs, cases of drawers, work stands, baskets, oval boxes, wheelbarrows, stoves, looms, and even tailoring tools have a purity of form that transcends mere utility and elevates our appreciation beyond a sense of function."--Amazon.
Notes: Bibliography: p. 224.
Catalog of an exhibition held at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 29-Aug. 31, 1986 and at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., Oct. 4, 1986-Jan. 4, 1987.
Includes index.