The Shakers were a splinter sect of Quakers that was formed in the
18th century in England. Several Shaker communities were founded in the
American colonies in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, most
famously at Mount Lebanon, NY. The Shakers were known for their simple
lifestyles and religious beliefs, being a pacifist society in which men
and women shared equal responsibility in the church hierarchy. They are
also known for their architecture, furniture, and crafts, among which
are the many styles of baskets that can be found today in museums and
private collections.
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| Authentic Shaker Cheese Baskets (www.journalofantiques.com) |
One of my favorite baskets to make is in the style
known as the Shaker cheese basket. Historically, this type of basket was
used in the cheese production process to drain the curds and separate
them from the whey. It is made using a traditional hexagonal weave,
which can be manipulated to create many variations in shape and size. I
prefer to make them in a form that begins with a hexagonal base and
rises with straight walls to a round rim, either with or without a
handle.
In the image above, you can see that a pair of
runners has been lashed to the bottom of each basket; these were used to
hold the baskets to a cheese ladder. Below are examples of two
different sizes of Shaker cheese baskets that I've made.
Several other styles
of Shaker baskets exist, including types that were used for work in the
field (like wash baskets and fruit baskets) and more decorative types
used within the home (known as "fancy" baskets, often in a shape known
as a Shaker cat's head basket). For more information on Shaker baskets,
check out Shaker Baskets (1988) by Martha Wetherbee and Nathan Taylor, or Basketry: The Shaker Tradition
(1990) by John McGuire. I've also included a list of several websites
at the end of this post that provide more information and pictures.
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| Shaker Wash Baskets (www.journalofantiques.com) |
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| Shaker Herb Drying Basket (www.pinterest.com) |
Two distinctive
features of authentic Shaker baskets are their rims and handles, which
are often carved from the same piece of wood and lashed together with
the same brown ash or white oak splint in which the rest of the basket
is woven. These baskets display incredibly fine craftsmanship using
hand-split and hand-carved local materials and are beautiful examples of
early American basketry!
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| Typical Shaker Handle and Rim Design (www.journalofantiques.com) |
http://shakerworkshops.com/resources/who-are-the-shakers/shaker-fancy-baskets/
http://shakerheritage.wordpress.com/2012/03/28/the-shaker-basket-making-tradition/
http://www.journalofantiques.com/Jan04/featurejan04.htm
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