the andrews shaker collection | skinner auction 2731m

8/12/2019 The Andrews Shaker Collection | Skinner Auction 2731M

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Auction InformationAuction 2731M

Sunday, June 15

12PM

274 Cedar Hill Street

Marlborough, MA

Absentee Bidding

T: 508.970.3211

F: 508.970.3110

General Inquiries:

508.970.3000

SkinnerLive!:

skinnerinc.com

Specialists

Preview

Thursday, June 12

12 to 7PM

Friday, June 13

12 to 5PM

Saturday, June 14

12 to 5PM

Sunday, June 15

9 to 10AM

Stephen FletcherDepartment Director

508.970.3228

Chris BarberDeputy Director

508.970.3227

Karen Langberg

508.970.3281

View all lots online at www.skinnerinc.com

COVER: 39; BACKCOVER: 1; INTERIORBACKCOVER: 22

Consultant: Christian Goodwillie Department Inquiries: 508.970.3200


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Table of Contents

1 Auction & Specialist Information

2 Web Site & Online Bidding

4-5 Event Information

7 Lots 1-138

133 Essays

149 Bibliography

152 Conditions of Sale

153 Absentee Bid Form

154 Company Directors & Specialty Departments

155 Administrative Staff & Client Services

156 Map & Driving Directions

157 Parking & Accommodations

158 Dining

159 Subscription Form

Please Note: All lots sold subject to our Conditions of Sale.

Please refer to page 152 of this catalog for the full terms and conditions governing your purchase.

Copyright Skinner, Inc. 2014

All rights reserved

MA/Lic. #2304


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Sunday, May 4, 2014, 1PM

Fruitlands Museum, Harvard, MA

The Shakers: Models for Modernism

Illustrated lecture by Jean M. Burks,Senior Curator, Shelburne Museum

Saturday, May 17, 2014, 1PM

Fruitlands Museum, Harvard, MA

240 Years of Shaker Life in America

Illustrated lecture by Christian Goodwillie,Director and Curator of Special Collections,Hamilton College

The Andrews Shaker Collection

Lecture Series May and June 2014

Skinner is pleased to present a series of lectures by Shaker scholars Jean Burks and Christian Goodwillie. These

events will be held in conjunction with the June 15th auction of the Andrews Shaker Collection. Please join us!

About The Andrews Shaker Collection

In 1923, Edward and Faith Andrews stopped at a Shaker community to buy a loaf of bread, a simple encounter which led to

a lifelong involvement with the Shakers. On June 15th, Skinner will offer the last portion of the original Andrews Collection not

residing in a major institution. The auction will present more than 100 lots including furniture, metalware, boxes, and ephemera

all featuring the Shakers characteristically simple, yet ingenious design. The event offers enthusiasts of Shaker the rare

opportunity to purchase furniture and objects from this legendary collection.

102 Prospect Hill Road, Harvard, MA 01451

978.456.3924

www.fruitlands.org

Both events are free to the public with museum admission

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Saturday, May 31, 2014, 4PM

Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield, MA

The Shakers: Models for Modernism

Illustrated lecture by Jean M. Burks, Senior Curator,Shelburne Museum

Thursday, June 12, 2014 Reception 5:30PM/Gallery Walk 6PM

Skinner, Marlborough, MA

The Andrews Shaker Collection A Gallery Walk

Guided tour and discussion of selected highlights from the June 15th auction hosted byStephen L. Fletcher, Director, and Christopher Barber, Deputy Director, of AmericanFurniture & Decorative Arts, Skinner, Inc.

The event will feature Christian Goodwillie, Director and Curator of Special Collections,Hamilton College, and coauthor of Gather Up the Fragments: The Andrews Shaker Collection.

1843 West Housatonic Street, Pittsfield, MA 01202

413.443.0188www.hancockshakervillage.org

274 Cedar Hill Street, Marlborough, MA 01752

508.970.3000

www.skinnerinc.com

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Please note!

You will see this pointing hand thoughout the catalog directing you to items of interest

to the reader.

This typographical ornament is from New Lebanon, New York, Shaker Isaac Newton

YoungssA Short Abridgment of the Rules of Music, which he printed in 1846.

The Andrewses discovered a large cache of both the 1843 and 1846 editions of this book

in the schoolhouse at New Lebanon.


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Ted and Faith Andrews


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1Shaker Yellow-painted Lidded Wooden Pail,Canterbury, New Hampshire, c. 1855, pine stavesand bottom, the staves with V-shaped tongue-and-groove joinery fastened with iron hoops cut to a Vat the ends, wire bail with diamond-shaped iron bailplates clipped at the top to accommodate the lid, thebail with turned maple handle with scribe lines at thecenter and ends, the pail is stamped with the number1 in the center of the exterior bottom, and thenumber 5 is stamped in the center of the interior lid,the interior with clear varnish, ht. to top of lid 7 3/4, ht.to top of upright handle 12 1/4, dia. of lid 10 1/2 in.

Literature: Gather Up the Fragments: The AndrewsShaker Collection, by Mario S. De Pillis and ChristianGoodwillie (Hancock Shaker Village, Inc., 2008), p.114.

The Canterbury, New Hampshire, Shakersmanufactured large amounts of cooperage duringthe 19th century. This lidded pail exhibits many ofthe hallmarks of cooperage from that community.The staves are joined with a V-shaped notch, andchamfered at the bottom to guard against splitting (likethe Mount Lebanon example in this sale, Lot 2). Thewire bail is set into a diamond-shaped bail plate (reallystrap iron cut on the diagonal) that has been relievedat the top to accommodate the iron rim. The turnedhardwood handle has a double central scribe line andchamfered ends to prevent splitting. The bottom isturned, and beveled at the outer edge to fit into thestaves.

$2,500-3,500

8 Additional information and photos at www.skinnerinc.com

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2Shaker Painted Wooden Pail,possibly New Lebanon,New York, early 19th century, pine staves and bottom,ash hoops with chamfered interlocking fingers, bent ashswing handle which is flat on the outside and curved onthe inside to fit comfortably in the hand is secured to thepail with button pins; old putty-colored paint over earlierred paint, (minor imperfections), ht. to rim 11, ht. to topof upright handle 18 3/4, rim dia. 13 1/8 in.

Brother Isaac Newton Youngs of New Lebanon, NewYork, wrote that the Shakers had worked at cooperingfrom the beginning of their communal period in the late

1780s. He wrote, the principal part of the business wasmaking tubs and pails, both for the use of Believers &for sale. This New Lebanon, New York, pail exhibitsthe butt-jointed staves typical of that community. Theswing-handle bail is made of a steam-bent hardwood,likely ash, and attached to the upper rim with two cotterpins. The underside of the bail is rounded to conformto the hand; and the bail ends are beveled, a simplepreventative measure to avoid splitting. The width of thehandle also flares out at the ends where it is attached.The steam-bent ash hoops are joined by tucking theopposing ends into a notched hook. All of these finedetails bespeak the Shakers attention to craftsmanshipand quality.

$600-800

11Online bidding at www.skinnerinc.com

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3Shaker Yellow-stained Pine Covered

Storage Box,dovetail-constructedrectangular box with iron hinges onthe molded lid, original yellow stain,(surface wear from use), ht. 6 3/4, wd.14 3/4, dp. 11 1/2 in.

$1,500-2,500


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4Shaker Red-painted Pine Writing

Box,New Lebanon, New York, c.1830, rectangular box with hinged lidwith breadboard ends on dovetail-constructed case, the sides with red washsurface, the interior with yellow washis inscribed Angeline Cook in pencilon the underside of the lid, and alongthe top edge of the back of the case,(imperfections), ht. 4 7/8, wd. 16 5/8, dp.11 in.

Literature: Gather Up the Fragments, p.194.

This writing box is pine and finished witha chrome yellow wash (inside), red wash(case sides), and clear varnish (top).Angeline Cook is written in script onthe underside of the lid and along the topedge of the back of the case. She wasadmitted at Mount Lebanon on July 5,1865 and Shaker records indicate thatshe came from Watervliet to evade herfather. Brother Isaac Newton Youngsrecorded the construction of a numberof writing boxes in the Church Familys

Domestic Journal: March 1836 Onedozen writing boxes were brot into thehouse, made & lately finished by NicholasBennet. They are well made, and Nicholassays they are worth $6.00 apiece, & thathe has been near 6 days apiece makingthem. He began them some where aboutthe 20th of January. The boxes weremostly for young Sisters, writers, &c. Thisbox may be one of Brother Nicholass,but could also have been made byBrother Orren Haskins or Brother ElishaDAlembert Blakeman, both of whom areknown to have constructed writing boxes.

$1,500-2,500


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6Shaker Sisters Two-step Footrest,Canterbury, New Hampshire, c. 1860, pinestepstool with hinged lid on compartment of

top step, with pencil inscriptions: This benchwas made for Sister Annie J. Baker in 1860,and large initials A.J.B. on underside ofbench, worn, brown-stained surface, ht. 11,wd. 15 1/4, dp. 10 1/4 in.

Literature: The Magazine Antiques, May 1979;Gather Up the Fragments, p. 291.

The top opens to reveal an interiorcompartment for storing personal and sewingeffects.

$2,000-3,000

6

Annie J. Bakers footrest (at left) in the Andrewses Pittsfield, Massachusetts, home.

Courtesy, The Winterthur Library, The Edward Deming Andrews Memorial Shaker Collection.


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8Shaker Red-painted Rack,Mount Lebanon,New York, c. 1830, with eighteen openings,original surface, (imperfections), ht. 27 3/4,wd. 58, dp. 11 1/2 in.


This rack was acquired by the Andrewsesfrom the South Family at Mount Lebanon. Itwas photographed by Noel Vincentini for TheIndex of American Designjust inside a doorof the South Family Dwelling in 1935 (seeimage at left). Barely visible in the image is acupboard door on the upper left of the piece.This door has since disappeared. The rackis utilitarian in the extreme, and displays theclean lines and essential functionality so prizedin Shaker craftsmanship. Vincentini may haveplaced the rack for his photograph; in theMay 1979 issue of The Magazine Antiquesit

is stated that it was acquired from the NorthFamily at Mount Lebanon. However, giventhe nearly forty years between the image andthe article, a South Family origin seems moreprobable.

$6,000-8,000

8

Library of Congress, Prints &

Photographs Division, HABS


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9Shaker Brown/Red-painted Rocking Chair,New Lebanon, New York, early 19th century,

the four arched slats joining turned post aboveflat shaped arms, the second slat with paperlabel affixed to back, with numerals 01.,tapered arm supports continuing to legs joinedby double stretchers, ending in turned feetjoined by shaped rockers, ht. 45 1/2, seat ht.15 1/2 in.

Literature: Shaker Furniture: TheCraftsmanship of an American Communal

Sect, plate 16; Community Industries of theShakers, figure 60; The Magazine Antiques,May 1979; and Gather Up the Fragments, p.210.

The unrefined side-scroll arms and turnedbottom on the posts point to the relativelyearly construction date of this rocker. 01.is written on a heavily finished label affixedto the center of the reverse of the top slat.The meaning of this is unknown, althoughthe Andrewses speculated that it couldhave indicated a date of 1801. A more likelyexplanation is that it specified the room inwhich the chair was used. The finish is a redpaint and the tape seat has been replaced.

$12,000-15,000


Shaker Furniture, plate 16, photograph by William F. Winter.



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1012

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10Shaker Red-stained Tilter Chair,NewLebanon, New York, c. 1840, with threearched slats and double stretchers, old redstain, ht. 38 1/2, seat ht. 15 in.

$400-600

11Shaker Armchair,probably Lillian Perkinsand William Barlow, New Lebanon, NewYork, c. 1930, the four arched slats joiningturned stiles, and shaped arms with roundedhandholds, ht. 46 3/4, seat ht. 18 in.

Lillian Perkins and William Barlow were the lasttwo chair-makers at Mount Lebanon.

$600-800

12Shaker Red-stained Tilter Chair,NewLebanon, New York, c. 1830, with threearched slats, old refinish over original red stain,ht. 38 1/2, seat ht. 14 1/2 in.

$200-300



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13Shaker Tilter Chair,New Lebanon, NewYork, c. 1840, with three arched slats anddouble stretchers, the back of the middle

slat inscribed in script in pencil Girls andin black paint numbered 13., refinished,(imperfections), ht. 40 3/4, seat ht. 15 3/4 in.

Literature: Gather Up the Fragments, p. 207.

This side chair is typical of those made for usewithin the community at Mount Lebanon in the1830s and 1840s. The top slat of this exampleis curiously reinforced where it is mortised andpegged into the posts.

$800-1,200

14Shaker Tilter Chair,New Lebanon, New York,c. 1840, with three arched slats and doublestretchers, refinished, with traces of yellow

color, (imperfections), ht. 40 3/4, seat ht. 161/4 in.

$400-600

15Shaker Cherry Tilter Chair,probably MountLebanon, New York, early 19th century, withthree arched slats joining the turned poststopped by finials, with taped seat and legsjoined by double stretchers, (refinished), ht.38, seat ht. 14 1/4 in.

$300-500



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1413


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16Shaker Red-painted Pine Blanket Chest

over Drawer,attributed to Brother GilbertAvery, Mount Lebanon, New York, 1837,the hinged lift lid with rounded front andapplied tongue and groove end moldings,opens to a well with lidded till and interiordrawer, the dovetail-constructed box withinlaid escutcheons, the single drawer withbeveled edge and turned wooden pulls, ona dovetailed bracket base, the backboardinscribed Made April. 1837/Canaan, and

with blue label THE BERKSHIRE MUSEUM/ANDREWS/#49, the pulls appear to beoriginal, old surface, (minor imperfections), ht.27 3/4, case wd. 40, case dp. 18 in.

Provenance: Acquired by the Andrewses fromthe Second Family at Mount Lebanon in 1928.

Literature: The Magazine Antiques, July 1928,p. 134; Shaker Furniture: The Craftsmanshipof an American Communal Sect, plate 19;Erwin Christensen, The Index of AmericanDesign(The MacMillan Company, New York,1950), p. 23, plate 41; Shaker: Furniture andObjects from the Faith and Edward Deming

Andrews Collections Commemorating theBicentenary of the American Shakers,by A.D.Emmerich and A.H. Benning (Washington,DC: Renwick Gallery of the National Collectionof Fine Arts by the Smithsonian InstitutionPress, 1973), p. 55, plate 8; The Book ofShaker Furniture,by John Kassay (Amherst,Massachusetts: University of MassachusettsPress, 1980), pp. 112-13; Shaker: A Uniquely

American Aesthetic, n.p.; Encyclopedia ofShaker Furniture, p. 186; The Complete Bookof Shaker Furniture, Timothy Rieman and JeanM. Burks (Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York,1993), pp. 138-39, plate 60; Gather Up theFragments, p. 163.

Exhibitions: Berkshire Museum, 1932;Berkshire Museum, 1940; Renwick, 1973 (seeLot 124 for more information).

This chest was published in the Andrewsesfirst article on Shaker furniture in the August1928 issue of The Magazine Antiques. Theyacquired it that year from the Second Family,Mount Lebanon. It is built of pine and finishedwith red paint and inlaid escutcheons. The lidhas breadboard ends typical of Shaker chests.The case is dovetailed and outfitted with ironhinges and screws and steel and brass locks.The original keys remain with the piece, andthe lock is operable. It has been attributed to

Brother Gilbert Avery who moved betweenvarious families at Mount Lebanon, but wasburied at Canaan. In Shaker FurnituretheAndrewses state: Tradition ascribes the chestto Gilbert Avery. The following is inscribedon the back of the case: Made April. 1837.Canaan. If Avery did construct this chest, hewas sixty-four years old at the time. He wasalso a chair-maker and the father of prominentShaker leader Elder Giles Avery. An illustrationof the piece, made by an artist working atthe Andrewses home, was published inThe Index of American Design (at left). FaithAndrews used the chest for many years in herbedroom.

$8,000-12,000




The Andrewses made notes recording the provenance of many items in their collection.


Plate from The Index of American Design


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17Shaker Red-painted Poplar Grain Bin,Sabbathday Lake, Maine, c. 1830, withthree hinged lids above conformingly sizedcompartments, on the nail-constructed boxwith cutout ends, old surface, (imperfections),ht. 23, wd. 66 1/2, dp. 19 1/4 in.

$1,500-2,500

18Shaker Pine Bench,New Lebanon, NewYork, c. 1830, the seat with molded edgejoined to the cutout feet by diagonal mortisedbraced supports, old worn brown-stainedsurface, (imperfections), ht. 16, dp. 9 1/2, lg.47 3/4 in.


Sect, plate 1.

This pine bench exhibits the pointed archcutouts found on early meetinghouse anddining benches from New Lebanon, wherethe Andrewses acquired this bench. Thetop has a molded edge on the seat and isfinished in a dark stain. Another bench, aswell as a bookshelf, included in this auction(Lots 53 and 44, respectively) have similarlyshaped cutouts at the bottom, suggestingperhaps they were constructed by the samecabinetmaker.

$3,000-5,000


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18

The study at the Andrewses Shaker Farm, in Richmond, Massachusetts.



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19Shaker Pine Bench,New Lebanon, NewYork, 1820, the rectangular top mortisedinto the arched ends, with diagonally placedwrought iron braces, old natural finish, ht. 171/4, wd. 20 7/8, dp. 10 1/2 in.

Literature: The Book of Shaker Furniture, pp.8-9.

$2,500-3,500

20Shaker Maple and Ash Bench,early 19thcentury, the split-log seat with chamferedfront and back edge on four turned, swelled,splayed legs, original red paint, ht. 21 1/2,wd. 29 1/4, dp. 12 1/2 in.


Sect, plate 25; The Magazine Antiques, May1979; Gather Up the Fragments, p. 372.

This simple bench has turned legs dowelledinto the base and is chamfered along thelower edges. It is painted a deep red. The legsgradually thicken as they rise, are mortisedinto the top, and are splayed for stability.A number of sturdy benches similar to thisone were collected by the Andrewses asthey scoured Shaker workshops, primarily atMount Lebanon, New York. See Lot 85 in thissale for another example.

$800-1,200


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Shaker Furniture, plate 25, photograph by William F. Winter.Courtesy, The Winterthur Library, The Edward Deming Andrews Memorial Shaker Collection.


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21Shaker Oval Covered Box, Mount Lebanon,New York, c. 1840, pine top and bottom withbent maple sides joined with three fingersfastened with copper tacks, light brownstained surface, the side of the box inscribedIrish Glue in red paint, and also with appliedpaper label inscribed Irish Glue in ink, theinterior containing flakes of dried animal glue,

the inside of the lid is impressed I.Y. forBrother Isaac Youngs (1793-1865), a Shakertailor, woodworker, clockmaker, and scribe atthe New Lebanon, New York, community, andprobable first owner of the box, ht. 2 1/8, wd.3 3/8, lg. 5 3/8 in.

Literature: Gather Up the Fragments, p. 306.$4,000-6,000


Shaker Brother Isaac Newton Youngs, of New Lebanon, New York, wrote the following about oval boxes

in his 1856 Concise View Of the Church of God and of Christ, On Earth:

Oval Boxes.

These have manufactured almost or quite yearly, since perhaps the year 1800. This has been a very good

little branch of business, tho not so extensive as some. A great improvement has been made in this line.

Formerly the rims were sawed out in a common sawmill, which did the work slowly and imperfectly. The

heading & rims were planed by hand. But about the year 1830 the sawing was done by a buz saw, and

the heading planed by water. And shortly after a planing machine was erected, (say in 1832) to plane the

rims, which performed the work admirably. Since there has been considerable done for sale yearly.

The Shakers used oval boxes for a wide variety of purposes. Some of these examples still have their

original contents: copper tacks (used in box manufacturing) (Lots 30 and 34), wooden pegs (used in

cobbling) (Lot 26), and Irish Glue (an animal glue dried in flakes) (Lot 21). The box containing the wooden

pegs bears an interesting inscription on the underside of the lid: $1.10 The latter part of 1854 I came to

the wash house being then 23 [illegible] was in the year 1855 and the name Louisa. The Irish Glue

box has the initials I.Y incised on the underside of the lid, presumably for Brother Isaac Newton Youngs.

Brother Isaac was the subject of the biography One Shaker Life: Isaac Newton Youngs, 1793-1865

by Glendyne R. Wergland. One of the true Shaker polymaths, he excelled at cabinetmaking, building,

printing, music, journaling, tailoring, clockmaking, and a variety of other practical pursuits.


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22Shaker Red-painted Covered Oval Box with

Queen of the Meadow Label,New Lebanon, NewYork, c. 1830, pine top and bottom with bent maplesides joined with five fingers fastened with copper

tacks, painted oxblood red, one end with appliedprinted paper label: Queen of the Meadow, (minorsurface scratches, light mineral residue on cover), ht. 51/2, wd. 9 1/2, lg. 13 1/2 in.

The printed label affixed to the end uses the same fontas a large body of mid-19th century ephemera printedat Canterbury, New Hampshire, potentially indicatingthat after its construction at New Lebanon, it made its

way to the community at Canterbury, where the labelwas likely applied. This box was painted with the lidon, as evidenced by the lack of paint along the upperedge of the side. The finely cut fingers are beveled,gradually flattening from the crotch to the tips. Thedeep red ochre coating is beautifully intact. The herbQueen of the Meadow (Eupatorium Purpureum) is alsoknown as joepye, trumpet weed, gravel root, andpurple boneset. The Mount Lebanon Shakers 1873Druggists Hand-Book of Pure Botanic Preparationsdescribes it as a valuable remedy in dropsy, strangury,gravel and all urinary disorders.

$3,000-5,000



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23Shaker Covered Oval Box with Sewing

Accessories,pine top and bottom withbent maple sides joined with four fingers,fastened with copper tacks, natural surfacewith remnants of bittersweet paint; the interiorwith remains of light green silk lining over woolbatting, a pincushion, a strawberry emery,a nub of needle wax, an embroidered whitewool felt needle case, and several woodenspools of commercial thread, ht. 4, wd. 4 7/8,lg. 7 3/8 in.

$1,500-2,500

24Shaker Covered Oval Box,Mount Lebanon,New York, c. 1840, pine top and bottom withbent maple sides joined with three fingersfastened with copper tacks, nut brown finish,with pencil inscription on left side of box:Smallest, and an Andrews inventory numberinscribed red marker A-54a on the bottom,ht. 1 3/8, wd. 2 1/2, lg. 3 5/8 in.

Literature: Gather Up the Fragments, p. 306.$800-1,200

25Shaker Oval Covered Box,possibly DanielCrosman, New Lebanon, New York, c. 1840,pine top and bottom with bent maple sidesjoined with three fingers fastened with round-headed copper tacks, brown stained surface,(minor losses), ht. 1 7/8, wd. 2 3/4, lg. 4 1/2in.

The use of round-headed copper tacks tosecure the fingers may indicate the boxsmaker as Daniel Crosman (1810-1885), askilled box maker at the New Lebanon, NewYork, community.$600-800


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25

24


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2726


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29Shaker Covered Oval Box Labeled Gum

Mastich,Mount Lebanon, New York, c.1840, pine top and bottom with bent ashsides joined with six short fingers fastened

with copper tacks, brown stained surface, thecover with applied printed paper label: GumMastich, (crack), ht. 2 3/8, wd. 3 3/4, lg. 51/4 in.

Literature: Gather Up the Fragments, p. 308.$600-800


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30Shaker Covered Oval Box,Mount Lebanon,New York, c. 1840, pine top and bottom withbent maple sides joined with three fingersfastened with copper tacks, light brown

stained surface, containing numerous smallcopper tacks used in the making of ovalboxes, and a small paper packet secured withstring, ht. 1 3/8, wd. 2 1/2, lg. 3 5/8 in.



30


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33Small Red-stained Oval Covered Box,19th century, with pine top and bottom andbent maple sides joined by three fingerssecured with copper tacks, red stainedsurface, (shrinkage cracks on lid), ht. 2 1/2,wd. 4, lg. 5 in.

This box was apparently used by theShakers, but likely not made by them.

$200-250

34Shaker Oval Covered Box,pine topand bottom with bent maple sides joinedwith three fingers fastened with coppertacks, dark brown stained surface, thebox containing numerous small coppertacks, and a small paper packet, (loss,imperfections), ht. 1 1/8, wd. 2 1/2, lg. 35/8 in.

$200-250


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33


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35Shaker Yellow Pine and Maple Laundry

Cart,late 19th century, the rectangular sides

joined by horizontal turned rails, on four castiron and turned maple wheels, old refinish,(alterations), ht. 16, wd. 20, dp. 14 in.

$800-1,200

36Shaker Maple Hanging Shelf,19th century,the backboard pierced for hanging on a

peg rail, with shelf over four nearly squarecompartments, natural brown stained surface,(imperfections), ht. 18 7/8, wd. 14, dp. 6 in.

$800-1,200

37Shaker Pine Hanging Shelf,c. 1880,two-shelf case with backboards, pierced forhanging on a peg rail, natural finish, ht. 31 1/4,wd. 12 3/8, dp. 5 1/8 in.

$400-600


3736


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This rack was used in the dining room of the Andrewses home in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.



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38Shaker Red-painted Hanging Shelf,19thcentury, the rectangular shelf above sevenopen compartments joining shaped bracket

ends, old surface, overall ht. 18, lg. 83 3/4,dp. 10 1/4 in.

Literature: Religion in Wood: A Book ofShaker Furniture,by Edward Deming Andrewsand Faith Andrews (Bloomington, Indiana, andLondon: Indiana University Press, 1966), plate90; The Magazine Antiques, May 1979.

In the May 1979 issue of The MagazineAntiquesit is reported that this set of shelveswas used in a Shaker carpenters shop.

$3,000-5,000


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The 1839 Shaker Schoolhouse at New Lebanon, New York.


A photograph of the schoolroom c. 1875 shows this cupboard at left.

Courtesy of Hamilton College, Communal Societies Collection, Richard Brooker Collection


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The schoolhouse cupboard in

use at the Andrewses house

in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

Courtesy, The Winterthur

Library, The Edward Deming

Andrews Memorial Shaker

Collection.


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40Shaker Pine Red-painted Two-door

Cupboard,Hancock, Massachusetts, orMount Lebanon, New York, c. 1800, the doorswith raised panels and molded surround opento an interior of six shelves, old surface, theright side with two pegs, formerly built-in onthe left side, (minor imperfections), ht. 80 1/2,

wd. 37 1/2, dp. 18 in.

Literature: Gather Up the Fragments, pp.156-57.

Ted Andrewss unpublished notes on theAndrews Collection contain the followingreference: Large, high cupboard with twopaneled doors, painted red. Hancock Churchweave shop. (Now at Shaker Farm.) Thisdescription may apply to this cupboard. Theraised panels and evidence of hand-planingindicate an early construction date.

$8,000-12,000


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41Shaker Pine Cupboard over Four Drawers,Mount Lebanon, New York, c. 1830, hingeddoor over molded recessed panel opening to

three shelves above four graduated drawerswith wooden pulls, with an applied dovetailedbracketed base, old refinish, (minor imperfections),ht. 74 1/4, wd. 33, dp. 16 1/4 in.


This unusual piece consists of a fully finishedcase of drawers with single plank sides extendingupwards to a cupboard framed on top. Like

Lot 58 in this sale, this piece has an applieddovetailed base. Traces of yellow ochre paintremain, although the piece appears to have beenrefinished long ago. This cupboard over drawersseems to have barely escaped annihilation. A largeburn mark is visible on the right side. A lamp orcandle may have tipped over and briefly been incontact with the case side.

$8,000-12,000



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42Shaker Red-painted Pine Loom Bench,Mount Lebanon, New York, c. 1840, therectangular slightly concave seat above asingle dovetailed drawer, with panel belowjoining the sides with cutout arches, ht. 22,wd. 18, dp. 12 in.


Sect, p. 74; New Horizons in American Art,#329; Shaker: Furniture and Objects, plate 28;The Magazine Antiques, May 1979; Gather Upthe Fragments, p. 219.

Exhibitions: Renwick, 1973.

The seat of this example is curved toaccommodate the weaver. The entire piece isfinished in a red wash. It was found in loomrooms at the Mt. Lebanon Church, accordingto Ted Andrewss unpublished notes. FederalArt Project Director Holger Cahill publishedan illustration of this piece in his NewHorizons of American Art(1937) (at left). Thislandmark publication featured a number ofthe Andrewses Shaker objects in a section ofAllied Arts. This loom stool is number 329.

$6,000-8,000

58

Plate from New Horizons of American Art



Additional information and photos at www.skinnerinc.com


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42


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44Shaker Pine Flight of Shelves,19thcentury, the sides with cutout feet joiningsix shelves, old dry natural surface, ht. 623/4, wd. 19 1/2, dp. 10 3/4 in.

Similarly shaped cutouts at the bottomas Lots 18 and 53, suggesting perhapsthey were constructed by the samecabinetmaker.

$800-1,200


44


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45Shaker Tin Hanging Candle Sconce,Hancock, Massachusetts, early 19th century,with crimped edge on the arched crest andreeded borders, with lower shelf to holdmatches, ht. 19, wd. 6, dp. 4 1/2 in.


Sect, plates 1 and 27; Shaker: Furniture andObjects, p. 75; and Gather Up the Fragments,p. 338.

Exhibitions: Probably Whitney Museum, 1935,#2; Renwick, 1973.

The tin candle sconce (from Hancock)is provided with a rack for matches ormatchbox, Andrews and Andrews, ShakerFurniture, p. 67. It has a scalloped top edgeand would have been hung from a nail.

$1,500-2,500


45




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46Shaker Tin and Pewter Teapot,MountLebanon, New York, c. 1820, oval form withhinged lid with oval pewter finial and ear-shaped hollow pewter handle salvaged from apewter teapot, ht. 8, wd. 8 3/4, lg. 13 1/2 in.

Provenance: Gifted to the Andrewses fromSister Sadie Neale, New Lebanon, New York,according to a note written by Faith Andrewskept inside the teapot.


This teapot was one of Faith Andrewssfavorite gifts from Sister Sadie Neale ofthe Mount Lebanons Church Family. Faithcarefully recorded its provenance on the smallnote included with the piece. Silhouette artistNell Laughton made an image of Faith 1981,with the teapot on a stand next to her (at left).

Shaker Brother Isaac Newton Youngs, of NewLebanon, New York, wrote the following aboutthe Shakers use of tea in his 1856 ConciseView Of the Church of God and of Christ, OnEarth.:

Concerning tea.- In the beginning, the Chh.used but little foreign tea, but had instead,

broth, milk porrage, sage, sullendine oreven root tea, &c. But in a few years foreigntea, and milk and sweetening with it, wasuniformly adopted, particularly for breakfast.After about the year 1808 or 10 tea was usedwithout sugar. But for many years tea wasnot common for suppers except perhaps forsome of the older part had it. This remained asthe general custom till the year 1840 when allforeign tea was excluded from the table, nonewas used, but for the sick, and domestic tea,such as cross-wort meadow sweet, &c. wasgathered and dried for tea.

$1,000-1,500


Top: Collection of Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

46

Bottom: Sister Sadie Neale of Mount Lebanon, New York.



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47Tinware Chamberstick and Snuffer,possibly Shaker made, early 19th century,the chamberstick with dished base and loophandle, (imperfections), ht. 4 3/4, dia. 7 1/4 in.


48Twelve Pieces of Tinware and a Small Lead

Pail,the items used by the Shakers and somelikely Shaker made: a small bell-shaped handlamp, a dustpan, a pail with wire bail, a smallpitcher, a pitcher with hinged cover, an oilcan with blue paint, a lamp filler, two coffee orteapots with hinged lids, a small covered pailwith wire bail, a small, shallow, round pan, anda small rectangular covered box; and a smalllead pail with wire bail, ht. 7/8 to 6 1/4, dia. 21/4 to 10 in.

Literature: Religion and Wood, p. 33, shows a

similar lamp filler on top of a wash bench.$400-600


47

48


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49Paint-decorated Tinware Dome-top Trunk,America, early 19th century, used but not madeby the Shakers, rectangular form with hinged lid,the front decorated with a white band with red fruitand green leaves, over red and green blossomsand fruit, on a black ground with yellow foliatebrushed borders, (paint loss), ht. 7 1/2, wd. 101/4, dp. 6 1/2 in.

$300-500

50Paint-decorated Tinware Storage Box,America, early 19th century, used but not madeby the Shakers, cylindrical form with hinged l id,decorated with a white band with red flowers andgreen leaves, on a black ground, (paint loss), ht.6, dia. 7 in.

$200-300

51Shaker Mangle Iron,19th century, rectangularwith pointed front edge, with spiral twist handle,used in the tailor shop or laundry, ht. 6 1/2, wd. 21/4, lg. 12 1/2 in.

Literature: The Magazine Antiques, 1979; GatherUp the Fragments, p. 328.

The Shakers purchased many household itemsfrom worldly manufacturers. In the May 1979 issueof The Magazine Antiquesit is reported that thismangle, or flatiron, was used in a Shaker tailoringshop.

$200-250


51


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Shaker Furniture, plate 1,

photograph by William F. Winter.

Courtesy, The Winterthur Library, The

Edward Deming Andrews Memorial Shaker

Collection.


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52Shaker Pine and Chestnut Laundry Table,Enfield, Connecticut, c. 1840, the top withbreadboard ends on the mortise and through-

tenoned cross base joined by double medialstretchers, old surface, (top with surface wear), ht.27, wd. 57, dp. 33 3/4 in.

Literature: Shaker Furniture: The Craftsmanshipof an American Communal Sect, plate 6; Shaker:Furniture and Objects, p. 60; The Magazine

Antiques, May 1979; The Book of ShakerFurniture,p. 252; Gather Up the Fragments, p.329.

Exhibitions: Whitney Museum, 1935, #12;Renwick, 1973.

Ted Andrewss unpublished notes on the AndrewsCollection contain the following references: Foundat the Enfield, Conn. settlement in 1929. Top in

pine: base, ash. A strongly built piece, possibly forshop use. Stretchers are mortised into leg posts.The top of this table consists of two pine boardswith breadboard ends. The Andrewses stated inShaker Furniturethat this table was used as anironing table at Enfield. The sawbuck, or X-trestle,base of this table would have made for a sturdywork surface.

$10,000-15,000


52




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53


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56

55

The Andrewses made notes

recording the provenance

of many items in their

collection.


Library, The Edward Dem-

ing Andrews Memorial

Shaker Collection.

Collection of HancockShaker Village, Pittsfield,

Massachusetts.


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57Shaker Tilter Chair,New Lebanon, New York,c. 1840, with three arched slats, old finish, ht.38, seat ht. 14 in.

A classic New Lebanon, New York,community side chair. This example has thering turning between the top of the rear postand finial (called pommels by the Shakers)particular to New Lebanon chairs of thisperiod. The steam-bent slats are carefullymortised into the posts, and the top slat isthrough pinned. This chair retains its originalwooden ball-and-socket tilters, a Shakerinnovation that was eventually patented in ametal form by Brother George O. Donnell in

1852. These tilters allowed the user to leanbackwards without splitting the rear posts ordenting the floor.

$300-500

58Shaker Red/Orange-stained Pine Case of

Drawers,Mount Lebanon or Watervliet, NewYork, c. 1830, the flat top with applied shapedcornice molding, above a case of four shortdrawers and four graduated long drawers withturned wooden pulls on dovetailed bracketbase, old surface, (minor imperfections), ht.

71, wd. 36, dp. 18 in.


This large case of drawers was built forcommunal use. It is entirely of pine, andfinished with a red wash. The case is fullydovetailed, with straight-cut feet extendingfrom the sides. The cornice molding anddovetailed bracket base are applied. The baseis similar to other case pieces attributed toboth Mount Lebanon and Watervliet, NewYork. However, the simple cornice makes aMount Lebanon attribution more likely. One of

the earliest dated Shaker pieces, a tall caseof drawers dated 1806, has a very similarapplied bracket base; so this piece may havebeen built earlier than 1830 (see Encyclopediaof Shaker Furniture, p. 125). In the May1979 issue of The Magazine Antiquesit isreported that this piece was acquired from theHancock, Massachusetts, Shaker community.

$30,000-50,000

57


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73

58


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The counter as used in the Andrewses home in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.Courtesy, The Winterthur Library, The Edward Deming Andrews Memorial Shaker Collection.


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61Shaker Pine Cupboard,New Lebanon,New York, early 19th century, the dovetail-constructed case with a hinged door having arecessed panel and beaded surround openingto two shelves, all flanked by beaded corners,turned wooden pull, refinished with traces ofred paint, (imperfections), ht. 24 1/2, wd. 32,dp. 15 3/4 in.

$600-800


61


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62Colorless Blown Glass Pitcher,19th century,baluster-form with ear-shaped handle with

scrolled terminal, polished pontil, ht. 7 1/2 in.

Literature: The Magazine Antiques, May 1979.

In the May 1979 issue of The MagazineAntiquesit is reported that this pitcher hadbeen acquired from a Shaker community.The Shakers did not manufacture glass, butinstead purchased what they needed forhousehold and industrial use from worldlyglassmakers.

$300-500

63Two Blown Cobalt and Colorless GlassDome String Dispensers,19th century, withapplied transparent cobalt blue bands on topand bottom rim, (base chips), ht. 4 5/8, 5 1/2,dia. 5 3/8, 5 in., respectively.

These string dispensers were reportedlyused in a Shaker herb or medicinal productsshop but may also have been used in acommunitys trustees office, where worldlyvisitors could buy Shaker products, and thestring used to tie up the packages.

$200-300

64Shaker Cherry Armless Rocker,NewLebanon, New York, c. 1840, with threearched slats, old refinish, ht. 37 1/2, seat ht.14 1/2 in.

This chair is easily attributed to New Lebanonbased on a number of features. The frame ofthe chair is canted back to accommodate thesitter, a feat all the more impressive given thatit is screwed onto thin rocker blades. The slatsare mortised into the posts, and the top slatis through pinned. The collar turning betweenthe top of the rear posts and the finial (Shakers

called them pommels) is a hallmark type forthis community. The tape seat (Shakers calledit listing) has been replaced.

$200-300

65Shaker Production Armless Rocking Chair,Mount Lebanon, New York, c. 1880, withbar and three arched slats, original surface,(imperfections), ht. 33 3/4, seat ht. 15 in.

$100-150

63

62


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64

65


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66


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66Shaker Maple and Cherry Stand,Hancock,Massachusetts, or Enfield, Connecticut, c.1850, the rectangular top with slightly roundededge above two dovetail-constructed drawersmounted on channels, which can be openedin both directions, with turned wooden pulls,the underside of one drawer with blue printedlabel reading THE BERKSHIRE MUSEUM/ANDREWS/#15, all on a turned pedestaland tripod base of spider legs, old finish, (veryminor imperfections), ht. 26 1/4, wd. 22, dp.

18 3/4 in.


Exhibitions: Berkshire Museum, 1932;possibly Whitney Museum, 1935, #11.

A number of two-drawer stands survive thatwere made in the Hancock Bishopric, twoexamples of which are featured in this sale(see Lot 67). Upon being released from hisposition as Senior Elder in the Bishopric,Elder Grove Wright settled at the Enfield,Connecticut, community.

His personal journal for 1860, in the AndrewsCollection at Winterthur, records the processof making two-drawer work stands:

Thursday, May 3: I began to make two workstands for Elder Sister ClarissaFriday, May 4: I work making stand legs &c.Monday, May 7: I work at making standsWednesday, May 9: I am at work on thestandsSaturday, May 12: I made the 4 drawers for

the two stands

Elder Groves prominence in Bishopricleadership, and the constant rotation amongHancock, Tyringham, and Enfield, as well ashis demonstrated collaboration with othercabinetmakers such as Elder Thomas Damon,make community attributions of two-drawerworkstands very difficult, and arguablyirrelevant. The square top, spider legs, andmore simply turned pedestal are the chiefdifferences between this example and Lot 67.

$10,000-15,000



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67Shaker Maple and Pine Stand,Hancock,Massachusetts, or Enfield, Connecticut, c. 1840,the rectangular top with rounded corners above twodrawers with exposed dovetailed fronts mounted onchannels, which can be opened in both directions,with brass pulls, the underside of one drawerwith blue printed label reading THE BERKSHIREMUSEUM/ANDREWS/#17, all on a turned

pedestal and tripod base of cabriole legs, old finish,(imperfections), ht. 23 3/4, wd. 19, dp. 16 1/2 in.

Literature: The Magazine Antiques, 1929; ShakerFurniture: The Craftsmanship of an American

Communal Sect,plate 15; Shaker: Furniture andObjects, p. 68, plate 22; The Magazine Antiques,1979; and Gather Up the Fragments, p. 180.

Exhibitions: Berkshire Museum, 1932; possiblyWhitney Museum, 1935, #11; Renwick, 1973.

A number of two-drawer stands survive that weremade in the Hancock Bishopric, two examples ofwhich are featured in this sale (see Lot 66). Uponbeing released from his position as Senior Elderin the Bishopric, Elder Grove Wright settled at theEnfield, Connecticut, community.

See the note on Lot 66 for Elder Grove Wrightsaccount of his working process specific to two-drawer stands like these.

The small brass pulls and exposed dovetails aredetails similar to other one- and two-drawer standsmade in the Bishopric. Many Hancock Bishopricstands display the same beveled edges on theundersides of the legs, as well as a neatly cut foot.The pedestal of this example has a subtle swelledturning.

$15,000-25,000


67


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68

The pitcher as used in the Andrewses home in

Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

Courtesy, The Winterthur Library, The Edward

Deming Andrews Memorial Shaker Collection.


87/164

68Stoneware Pitcher with Shaker-made

Wooden Cover,Mount Lebanon, New York,mid-19th century, baluster-form pitcher witha Shaker-made carved maple cover, carvedto conform to the rim of the pitcher, withturned hardwood knob; a note in the interior,inscribed in Faith Andrewss hand readsSadie Neale/Herb Shop/New Lebanon...,

overall ht. 8 7/8 in.

Literature: The Magazine Antiques, 1936;The Magazine Antiques, 1979; Gather Up theFragments, p. 340.

The ceramic pitcher was made by a non-Shaker potter, but the carefully crafted lidwas made by the Shakers. It is carved froma single piece of hardwood, and carefullyrounded on the top edges. The bottom hasbeen relieved to fit the pitcher, and a turnedhardwood knob is threaded into the top.

$600-800

69Twenty-two Shaker-made Wooden

Thumbscrews, Tilter Bobs, and Pegs,eightcarved and turned thumbscrews, six tilterbobs, eight turned pegs, an oval chair pommelsegment, and a small turned wooden cap;twenty-four items total.

$200-250


69


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70Shaker Woven Splint Basket,possiblyEnfield, Connecticut, c. 1820, rectangularform with fixed upright bent ash handlewith single notch to accommodate the rim,the rim wrapped with single lashing, thevertical splints alternately cut off and turneddown on the exterior near the rim, (minorimperfections), ht. to rim 5 1/4, ht. to top ofhandle 9 3/4, wd. 9, lg. 11 1/4 in.

$800-1,200

71Shaker Small Oval Tray,pine bottom withbent maple sides joined with a single fingerfastened with copper tacks, original yellowstain, ht. 1 1/8, wd. 3 7/8, lg. 5 7/8 in.

$200-250

72Shaker Pine Tray,19th century, rectangulartray with canted sides, applied i ron braceson the corners and applied carved handles,natural surface, (losses, wear), ht. 3 3/4,wd. 12 5/8, lg. 17 3/8 in.

Literature: Religion in Wood, p. 91.$300-500

73Shaker Needlework Sampler,CharlotteM Stevens was born in Hancock October25th AE. 1808. Marked in her 11th year AE.1819., stitched with silk threads on a linenfoundation, with five rows of alphabets,enclosed on three sides with a geometricborder, (toning), 8 3/8 x 9 1/2 in., in a latermitered wood frame.

Shaker samplers tend to lack thedecoration found on samplers executedby non-Shaker girls. The maker, Charlotte

M. Stevens, was born in Hancock,Massachusettsthe location of aShaker community beginning in the early1780s. However, no record of her hasbeen found among its members, whichis not unusual for children in Shakercommunities. A Charlotte Stevens wasadmitted as a twelve-year-old to the Shirley,Massachusetts, Shaker community in June1815. She apostatized on August 20, 1821.We cannot be certain that this is the sameCharlotte Stevens.

$800-1,200

70


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74Shaker Red-painted Butternut and Pine

Hanging Cupboard,early 19th century, the

rectangular top with half-round edge abovea hinged door with beaded recessed panelopening to two shelves and applied half-roundbottom edge, turned wooden knob, repaintedred, (imperfections), ht. 25 3/4, wd. 21, dp.14 1/4 in.

$1,500-2,500


74


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75Shaker Blue/Gray-painted Peg Rail,19thcentury, the rectangular form with chamfered

upper and lower edges, and four turned pegs,(imperfections), ht. 3, lg. 55 in.

$300-500

76Four Shaker Pine Peg Rails,19th century,the rectangular forms of varied length withturned pegs, (imperfections), ht. 2 1/2, lg. 251/2 to 69 in.

$300-500


75


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77Shaker Pine Built-in Dumbwaiter/

Cupboard,possibly New Lebanon, NewYork, mid-19th century, the rectangularframe with beaded edge enclosing avertically-sliding paneled door with tworecessed, molded wooden panels,opening to a shelved interior, originaldark brown stained surface, ht. 75 3/4,wd. 32, dp. 9 1/2 in.

Literature: The Magazine Antiques, May1979.

In the May 1979 issue of The MagazineAntiquesit is reported that this uniquepiece was originally built in, it combinesan open cupboard with a dumb-waiter:the paneled door at the bottom slidesup, and the set of shelves behind itcould be lowered to the kitchen below.Two similar, though larger, dumbwaitersare still extant in the 1830 Church FamilyShaker brick dwelling at Hancock,Massachusetts. The North Familydwelling at Mount Lebanon, New York,also had a dumbwaiter used to bringfood up from a cold storage room in thebasement.

$1,500-2,500

78Shaker Single-door Cupboard with

Drawer,19th century, the paneled dooropens to five shelves, with thumbmoldeddrawer below, old surface, (alterations),ht. 53, case wd. 18, case dp. 15 in.

A handwritten label with minor losses onthe underside of a shelf reads Docters[sic] No. 8/Cubberd[sic] mad-/1868Marc-.

$1,000-1,500

79Shaker Pine Built-in Cupboard,mid-19th century, with single hinged dooropening to four shelves, (imperfections),ht. 48, wd. 20, dp. 12 1/4 in.

Literature: The Magazine Antiques, May1979.

$400-600


77


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91Online bidding at www.skinnerinc.com78

79


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80Shaker Cherry and Butternut Drop-leaf

Table,Sisters shop, Canaan, New York,early 19th century, rectangular overhangingdrop-leaf top on a straight apron with twoscratch-beaded drawers, one on each side,with turned wooden pulls, supported onsquare tapering legs, old mellow surface, ht.28, closed wd. 13, open wd. 27 1/4, lg. 36 in.

Provenance: John Roberts, Canaan, NewYork, to Faith Andrews.

Literature: Religion in Wood, p. 79.

This double drop-leaf table representsShaker craftsmanship at its most austere.It is finished in a red wash. The square legstaper in thickness from the skirt to the floor.A similarly plain double drop leaf table existsfrom the Watervliet, New York, community(see Rieman and Burks, Encyclopedia, pp.232-233). Tapered leg Shaker tables were alsomade at New Lebanon, New York, Hancock,Massachusetts, and Enfield, Connecticut.

$8,000-12,000



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80


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81Shaker Red-painted Cherry Drop-leaf

Table,Sabbathday Lake, Maine, early 19thcentury, the rectangular overhanging drop-leaftop supported by pullout leaf supports, andstraight skirt joining square tapering legs, oldred paint, (imperfections), ht. 27 3/4, dp. 36,wd. open 33 3/4 in.

$2,500-3,500

82Shaker 3 Production Tilter Chair,MountLebanon, New York, c. 1875, with threearched slats joining slightly raked stiles, thetopmost stamped W on left side, originalfinish, ht. 34, seat ht. 13 in.

$300-500

83Shaker Production Tape-seat Stool,MountLebanon, New York, c. 1900, marked insideone leg, original surface, (imperfections), wd.13 1/2, seat ht. 17 1/2 in.

Stools of this style were manufactured for saleby Brother Robert M. Wagans chair company,based at Mount Lebanons South Family.Photographs of Sister Sarah Collins, as well asSouth Familys chair showroom, show stoolsof this type were sold into the 1930s.

$300-500


81


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82 83

The chair showroom at the South Family, Mount Lebanon, New York.



98/164

84Shaker Painted Oak Sleigh Bench,c.1830, the canted sides with arched topsjoined by mortised seat with diagonalbracing, early yellow-green paint, (lackshorizontal boards at base), ht. 25 1/2, wd.33, dp. 9 1/2 in.


Andrews family tradition states that thisbench was made for use on a Shakersleigh. It is certainly a unique form, andthe entire frame is held in tension, withthe splayed sides attached to the seat bydiagonal stretchers. Additionally, the sidesare screwed into the seat. The bottoms ofthe sides are relieved on the inside, andnumerous nail holes on the outside showwhere it was nailed into place, which lend tothe plausibility of its use as a sleigh bench.

$800-1,200

85Shaker Oak and Maple Bench,first half19th century, the rectangular plank top withchamfered lower edge on splayed, turned,swelled, tapering legs, (minor imperfections),ht. 23 7/8, top 22 1/2 x 16 1/4 in.

This is one of a number of sturdy benchesthat the Andrewses located in their frquentsearches through Shaker workshops. Thelegs on this bench are very subtly turned,with scribe marks highlighting the swells. Thelegs are mortised into the top and splayed forstability. See Lot 20 in this sale for anotherexample.

$800-1,200

96

84


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87Shaker Pine, Butternut, and Oak Bench,New Lebanon, New York, 19th century, thesingle board top bolted to perpendicularsupports with canted ends, on canted, turned,slightly swelled, tapering legs with bulbousturning near the bottom, old surface, (minorimperfections), ht. 23, wd. 42, dp. 20 in.

Tom Queen notes that a table with similarturned legs, attributed to the Shakers in NewLebanon, appears in The American Shakers

and Their Furniture, by John Shea, p. 47.$800-1,200

88Shaker Pine Bench,19th century, the seatwith straight skirt with shaped ends joins thetwo mortised supports, old surface, ht. 101/2, wd. 23 1/2, dp. 9 1/2 in.

$400-600


87


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89Shaker Cherry and Maple Mirror Holder

with Mirror,molded mitered wood mirrorframe with reddish-brown stain, supportedon a maple backboard with two peg holesand molded cherry shelf support with threebrass pins on the front edge for hanging

small items, overall ht. 25 1/2, wd. 14 in.

Literature: Shaker Furniture, plate 7;Religion in Wood, p. 87; The Magazine

Antiques, May 1979.

Exhibitions: Possibly Whitney Museum,1935, #24.

Shaker life was extremely hierarchical, andall members were expected to follow theirlead, from the rank-and-file member up tothe family Elder or Eldress, to the MinistryElder and Eldress, and on to God. TheMillennial Laws, first instituted in 1821,

regulated Shaker life. Although surely notadhered to at all times and places in the200-year-plus history of the sect, they doprovide insight into an ideal set of bestpractices (to use a modern term). In the1845 revision of the Millennial Laws, mirrorsare found in Section X: Orders concerningFurniture in Retiring Rooms: One goodlooking glass, which ought not to exceedeighteen inches in length, and twelve inwidth, with a plain frame. A looking glasslarger than this, ought never be purchasedby Believers.

$1,500-2,500


88

89


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90Shaker Oblong Maple Dough Bowl,withintegral carved handles on ends, natural drysurface, ht. 4 1/2, wd. 13 3/4, lg. 26 1/4 in.

$300-500

91Large Turned Maple Dough Bowl,probablyShaker, 19th century, with incised collar andline turnings on lower interior and exterior, drynatural surface, (imperfections), ht. 6 5/8, dia.22 3/4 in.

Literature: The Magazine Antiques, May 1979.$300-500

92Shaker Red-stained Pine Tray,squaretray with dovetail-constructed canted sides,original dry surface, (shrinkage cracks on thebottom), ht. 5 1/4, wd. 15 in.

Literature: Religion in Wood, p. 90.

$400-600

93Shaker Small Green-painted Dome-top

Box,19th century, the nail constructed boxwith wire hinges, ht. 3 1/2, wd. 8, dp. 3 3/4 in.

$200-250


90


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93

91


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94Shaker Wooden Tailors Ruler,19thcentury, with curved edge reportedly forcutting sleeves, incised measurements withhandwritten numbers in black ink, lg. 36 in.

$400-600

95Shaker Cherry Ruler,19th century, withincised measuring increments and numerals,one end with large pierced hole suitable forhanging on a peg rack, (crack on one end), 1x 32 in.

$300-500

96Shaker Maple Tailors Ruler,dated 1846,with a curved edge reportedly for cuttingsleeves, with incised measuring increments,numerals, and 1846 date on the reverse,one end with large pierced hole suitable forhanging on a peg rack, lg. 36 1/8 in.

$600-800

97Pair of Shaker Maple Sock Dryers,shapedflat panels, each inscribed with the number11 in ink, ht. 22 1/4, wd. 10 in.

$100-150


Shaker Brother Isaac Newton Youngs, of New Lebanon, New York, wrote the following about Shaker

tailoring in his 1856 Concise View Of the Church of God and of Christ, On Earth:

Tayloring.

There was an experienced workmen, in the beginning of the Chh. David Slosson who wrot at this trade

and had several apprentices. They cut and made all the kinds of garments that males wear, excepting

shirts, frocks, and handkerchiefs. After a short time those apprentises were chiefly dispersed, some to

other churches, to set up the business there. Some quit working at the trade. Enough remained to do the

work for the Church.

The accomodations, aparatus &c. for this business was very limited & simple. The art of cutting was not

reduced to rule: but the learner depended very much on the immediate instruction of an experiencedworkman. After about thirty-five years there were rules compiled for cutting, which greatly assisted

the learner, whereby he was less liable to important errors. Within thirty years the business of making

garments for the males has devolved more upon the sisters, and of late they have done pretty much all

the sewing; but the cutting is still done by the males.

Brother Isaac was a tailor, as were many members of the Shaker Ministry in communities both east and

west. These wooden rules (Lots 94-96) were crafted from carefully selected pieces of wood in order to

avoid warping and cracking. Two have large holes to facilitate hanging from a peg (Shakers called them

pins) in a tailors workroom.


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103

97

Top to bottom: 94, 95, 96


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98Oval Carrier,made by George Roberts,who was not a Shaker, but worked for theShaker Neale sisters, Mount Lebanon, NewYork, c. 1930, pine bottom with bent maplesides joined with two fingers fastened withcopper tacks, and fixed upright handle,(repair on handle), ht. 7 1/2, wd. 11 1/8, lg.14 1/2 in.

Oval carriers, both lidded and unlidded,were a natural outgrowth of the oval boxindustry at the Church Family, MountLebanon. Typically pine headers (tops andbottoms) were joined to steam-bent maplesides by finely cut, i ron-tacked finger joints.

This example in tiger maple is finished in aclear varnish and joined with copper tacks.Atypically, the bail is also made of tigermaple and joined to the side with copperwashers and rivets. Handles were typicallymade of ash for strength. This carrier isremarkably similar to the one depicted inJohn Kassays Book of Shaker Furniture,p. 23.

$300-500


98

Above: Shaker Furniture, plate 38, photograph by William F. Winter.

Opposite: The table as used in the Andrewses home in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

Both: Courtesy, The Winterthur Library, The Edward Deming Andrews Memorial Shaker

Collection.


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99Shaker Pine and Birch Worktable,Canterbury, New Hampshire, c. 1840,overhanging rectangular top withbreadboard ends, on four block- andring-turned, slightly swelled, taperinglegs joined by a straight apron, withthumbmolded drawer, turned woodenpull, traces of red wash, (minorimperfections), ht. 25 5/8, top 29 1/2 x19 1/2 in.

Literature: Shaker Furniture, plate 38;Gather Up the Fragments, p. 139.

The overall form, particularly the squareto round transition in the slender legs,divided by a small ring turning, is similarto other tables with provenance fromCanterbury.

$4,000-6,000


99


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100




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100Shaker Birch and Pine Table,Alfred, Maine,c. 1830, oval overhanging top on square andtapering turned legs, ending in button feet,refinished, (minor imperfections), ht. 26 3/4,top 30 x 22 1/2 in.


Sect, plate 9; Gather Up the Fragments, p.139.

Exhibitions: Shaker Exhibition, BerkshireMuseum, October 1932.

The Andrewses acquired this table as Alfredwas closing in 1931. The top is pine, and theskirt and legs are birch. Note the turning of thefoot, it is quite similar to other Alfred drop-leaftables. In Shaker Furniture, the Andrewsesnote, The oval topped table was one ofseveral used in a s isters shop at Alfred.

$3,000-5,000

101Shaker Pine Work Stand,rectangularoverhanging top with breadboard ends onsquare tapering legs, with straight apron, dry,natural surface, (restored), 28 1/4, top 29 1/2x 19 1/4 in.

$600-800


101


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102Shaker Carpenters Workbench,19th century,the heavy rectangular top on a narrow case of twodovetailed drawers and two shelves joining heavyposts which have screw notches at the bottom toaffix the piece to the floor, old worn red-washedsurface, (imperfections), ht. 33 1/4, wd. 57, casewd. 24, dp. 13 1/2 in.

The heavy frame of this piece indicates it wasprobably built for use in a Shaker workshop. Atone time it was built-in, as evidenced by the lackof a back on the drawer case. The second drawerhas two integral rows of pointed wooden dowels,perhaps used as a rack for tools.

$800-1,200


102


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103Shaker Pine Washstand,Mount Lebanon, NewYork, c. 1820, the splashboard with quarter-roundsides on an overhanging rectangular top abovetwo hinged doors with recessed, molded panelsopening to a single shelf, traces of yellow-ochrewash, overall ht. 36, shelf ht. 24 3/4, overall wd.56 1/2, dp. 17 in.

Literature: Religion in Wood, pp. 33, 86; TheMagazine Antiques, May 1979; The Book ofShaker Furniture, pp. 210-11; Gather Up theFragments, p. 146.

The Andrewses acquired this piece from the NorthFamily at Mount Lebanon. The relatively large sizeof this washstand indicates it was likely madefor use in an area other than a typical Shakerretiring room. It was reported that this piece wasoriginally used in the infirmary of the North Family(The Magazine Antiques, May 1979). Scholar andcabinetmaker John Kassay echoed this in his Book

of Shaker Furniture. It is made almost entirely ofpine, save the maple pulls. The top overhangs thecase asymmetrically by 3 1/4 in. on the right side.However, small hardwood pegs on both sidesof the case suggest the piece was not designedto be set into a corner. The large knots on thesplashboard are unusual for Shaker work, perhapsfurther indication of the rough use intended for thispiece.

$15,000-25,000

103


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104Shaker Woodbox over Drawer,Canterbury,New Hampshire, c. 1830, the top shelf withstraight back and canted ends continuing tothe box with molded slant lid, above a single

drawer and high demilune cutouts, old surfacewith worn salmon paint, ht. 47 1/2, wd. 301/2, case dp. 18 1/4 in.

Literature: The Magazine Antiques, May 1979.

Possibly from the Shaker community ofCanterbury, New Hampshire. A small noteinside says, Canterbury was used forMinistry. While many Shaker woodboxeshave legs, the presence of a drawer, possiblyfor kindling, makes this example uncommon.See Encyclopedia of Shaker Furniture, p. 395,for a Canterbury sewing desk with a similardemilune cutout on the case sides.

$1,500-2,500

105Shaker Pine Storage Box,19th century,rectangular dovetail-constructed box withcutout handholds on the slightly arched ends,brown stained surface, (imperfections), ht. 9

3/4, wd. 10 1/2, lg. 18 in.$400-600


104


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105


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The Shakers were renowned in America by the mid-19th century for their sophisticated herbal medicine

business. Brother Isaac Newton Youngs of New Lebanon, New York, chronicled the evolution of Shaker

medical practice in his 1856 manuscript Concise View of the Church of God and of Christ on Earth:

In the first opening of the gospel, it was a peculiar trait of the Believers faith not to rely much on outward

means and remedies to remove diseases and infirmities, a learned physician was considered as very

needless and unprofitable in general cases. It was recommended to rely more on the power of God,

and on zeal & energy of spirit, than on the skill of a doctor. And especially it was enjoined not to apply to

worlds doctors, if it could be avoided in reasonBut the gift of healing by supernatural power was too

precious to be granted as a common favor;and as the body is subject to disease, it was indispensible

that there should be some means for the releif of the afflicted. Therefore, an order of physicians, two

males, and two females, was set apart in the Chh. to officiate in the medical line, & to these the brethren

& sisters were to apply, each in their own order, males to the males & females to the femalesAbout the

year 1800, there was a little apartment, perhaps fifteen feet square, fitted up for the brethrens use, with amuch less cellar attachedin 1827 there was a commodious apartment, and ample cellar room provided,

which have remained to this time

Shaker physicians were also skilled herbalists, and employed vegetable or botanical medicine in

treating their patients. The Shaker medicinal herb gardens, particularly at New Lebanon, New York,

Canterbury, New Hampshire, and Harvard, Massachusetts, were renowned throughout America

and Europe. During the 1850s world-famous botanist Asa Gray of Harvard College even facilitated a

correspondence between herbalist Elder Elisha Myrick of the Harvard Shakers and William J. Hooker,

Director of the Royal Botanical Gardens (Kew Gardens). The Shakers produced fluid extracts prepared

in a pioneering vacuum pan, as well as dried herbs and compounded medicines. Brother Isaacmemorialized the herb business in his Concise View:

The gathering of Medicinal herbs has been practised almost from the first, more or less, for the use of

physicians at home.. .About the year 1820 there was some beginning at preparing roots and herbs for

sale, by drying, pressing and papering them, in nice compact form. There soon began to be a demand

and ready market for roots and herbs, and an increasing attention was turned to the business. In addition

the dried roots & herbs, they soon went into making various kinds of extracts. As the business increased,

more room and accomodation was indispensible. A building 50 by 25, two story was erected for a drying

house, and pressing, in the year 1832. To show the increase of the business we may state, that, in 1831

there were about 4000 lbs. of roots & herbs put up for sale.in 1836 about 6000. In 1849 there were

pressed of roots and herbs about 16,500 lbs. In 1850 there was a great increase of accommodations in

the business, by the remoddling of two buildings, one for the extract business, and one for drying and

pressing herbs, &c. the latter of which was 100 feet by & two story high. Also there was added a steam

boiler and vacuum pan, with various aparatus and fixtures connected. The amount of herbs &c. pressed

and prepared this year (1850,) was about 21,000, and extracts made about 7000, in the new works.

The Andrewses were fortunate to obtain original furniture and medical equipment, as well as thousands

of colorful extract and medicine labels, which bear beautiful testament of the Shakers innovative herbal

medicine practices.


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106Shaker Butternut and Pine Herb

Cupboard,North Family, New Lebanon,New York, c. 1860, the top withoverhanging rounded edges above twohinged cupboard doors with recessedpanels and beveled edges fitted withbrass and porcelain hardware openingto three shelves, on a projecting base offour drawers with divided interiors, turnedpulls and printed paper labels applied tothe drawer-fronts indicating the onetimecontents, the feet an extension of thecase sides, old surface, (imperfections),ht. 66, case wd. 46, dp. 18 3/4 in.

Literature: Religion in Wood, p. 91;

Masterpieces of Shaker Furniture, EdwardDeming Andrews and Faith Andrews(Mineola, New York, Dover Publications,1966), cover illustration and p. 91;Shaker: Furniture and Objects, p. 53,plate 6; The Book of Shaker Furniture,p. 63, plate 26; and Gather Up theFragments, p. 148.

Edward Deming Andrewss reminiscenceof finding this cupboard and its mate(now at Hancock Shaker Village), is highlyevocative of what it must have beenlike to explore the buildings at MountLebanon: The nurse shop at the Northfamily, New Lebanon, was located onthe second floor of the second familydwelling. In one long narrow room,brightly lighted by south windows therewere two identical cupboards to holdthe medicinal herbs grown in the physicgardens and widely used in the Shakerinfirmaries. Herb labels are pasted on theoutside of the four deep drawers. Thewood is butternut. In another documentAndrews wrote: Through the kindnessof Sister Rosetta Stephens we obtainedboth pieces. Shaker furniture scholarand cabinetmaker Tim Rieman datesthis piece to circa 1860 based on theuse of butternut, which is rarely seen in

earlier Mount Lebanon pieces. It has fullplank sides, and the back of the case isconstructed of horizontal boards that runall the way to the floor. The drawers aredivided for the storage of medicinal herbs.The intact labels pasted to the front ofthe drawers read: Lemon Balm, Catfoot,Tanzy, Peppermint, Wormwood, MotherWort, and Cohosh. In the catalog for the1973 Renwick exhibition Shaker FaithAndrews remembered that the present lotwas filled with herbs when we bought it.

$40,000-60,000


The Second North Family dwelling at Mount Lebanon, New York.

Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, HABS

106


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The herb cupboard as used in the

Andrewses home in Pittsfield,

Massachusetts.


Library, The Edward Deming

Andrews Memorial Shaker

Collection.


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107

108


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107Shaker Herb Broadside Make-

do Box,Mount Lebanon, New York,mid-19th century, the roughly circularcardboard form covered with labels,(water damage), ht. 8 1/2, dia. 12 in.

Literature: Gather Up the Fragments, p.

191.

An excellent example of the accidentalpreservation of Shaker printing is thispasted-up box covered entirely inbroadsides advertising Sarsaparilla,Phthisis Eradicating Syrup, and VegetablePulmonary Pills. The contents of the box,when it was found by the Andrewses,included a sisters net cap and shoe,a section of peg-rail, palm leaf bonnetbraiding, a duster handle, and spool.Boxes such as this are wonderfulinstances of the Shakers eminentpracticality in reusing materials.

The frugality of the anonymous brotheror sister who made this item insuredthe chance survival of these seeminglyunrecorded broadsides. Few such boxesare known, though noted scholar andcollector M. Stephen Miller acquired onethat yielded very early examples of Shakerhymn printing. While one would hate tothink of this box being deconstructed,it is true that a paper conservator mightcarefully exhume even more treasuresfrom this object than currently meet theeye.

$6,000-8,000

108Shaker Medicinal Asthma Cure

Bottle in Original Box,Mount Lebanon,New York, 19th century, the wooden boxcovered with polychrome lithographedpaper with printed inscriptions: TheShaker Asthma Cure/For Asthma Only,Manufactured By the Mount LebanonSociety of Shakers, Price One Dollar,and the Shaker agents name D.C.Brainard, with tin swivel cover opening toa conforming cavity holding a glass bottlewith similar applied lithographed labels,

a printed paper listing the rules whichshould be strictly observed in connectionwith the Shaker asthma cure, and onewith printed testimonials of the cure, box1 1/2 x 1 1/2 x 3 1/2 in.

The New Lebanon, New York, Shakersmanufactured their Asthma Cure duringthe 1880s and 1890s. The labels affixedto the wooden box and bottle are themost colorful ever used by the Shakers tomarket one of their medicines.

$200-250

109Shaker Medicinal Asthma Cure

Bottle in Original Box,Mount Lebanon,New York, 19th century, the wooden boxcovered with polychrome lithographedpaper with printed inscriptions: TheShaker Asthma Cure/For Asthma Only,Manufactured By the Mount Lebanon

Society of Shakers, Price One Dollar,and the Shaker agents name D.C.Brainard, with conforming cavityholding a glass bottle with similar appliedlithographed labels, a printed paperlisting the rules which should be strictlyobserved in connection with the Shak

the andrews shaker collection | skinner auction 2731m

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