Enfield
According to Kyle Sandler, education program coordinator at the Enfield Shaker Museum, the idea that excess decoration was unnecessary and wasteful reflected the group’s temperate worldview.
“The Shakers transitioned from the vernacular styles common in the 18th century toward something more appropriate to their religious ideals of order and simplicity,” Sandler wrote in an email.
Sandler will discuss the history of Shaker design and answer such questions as “What makes an item Shaker?” and “Why did the style appeal to early 20th-century architects and furniture makers?”, at a talk at the Enfield Shaker Museum on Tuesday, Aug. 28, from 1-2 p.m. In an email Q&A, he discussed some of his favorite pieces in the museum’s collection and speculated on why the style is still in favor among home decorators. The exchange has been edited for length and clarity.
Question: To borrow one of your questions: What makes an item Shaker?
Answer: Shaker pieces frequently demonstrate unique characteristics that separate them from similar non-Shaker pieces. One of the easiest items to identify as Shaker are chairs. Of the Shaker villages that produced chairs, each had a signature style, which can be identified by details such as their finials and slats.
Q: What makes the Shaker aesthetic so appealing to the modern eye?
A: The Shaker aesthetic is appealing because of its clean lines, distinct shapes and the use of asymmetry. All these characteristics make the pieces visually stimulating, but not overwhelming. The clearest connection between the Shakers and modern design can be found in the work of early 20th-century Danish furniture.
Designers such as Kaare Klint, Borge Mogensen and Hans Wegner all were influenced by design elements they found in Shaker chairs, which had made their way into Danish design museums in the late 1920s.
Q: What are some contemporary examples of Shaker-influenced design that many people would be familiar with?
A: Elements of Shaker design can be found in a variety of places, from American- and European-style “Shaker” kitchens to modern furniture companies, which produce a variety of Shaker inspired pieces.
Q: What are some of your favorite objects in the Enfield Shaker Museum collection?
A: One example is a circa 1830-1840 three-slat thin-armed rocker, painted red. This design is unique to the New Hampshire Bishopric and epitomizes the design details of an Enfield Shaker chair, including its candle-flame finals, delicate frame and graduated slats. Another piece is a sewing desk, circa 1850-1860, which demonstrates the classic Shaker look combining both symmetry and asymmetry to create a unique aesthetic.
Q: Do you think Shaker style will endure as tastes change in the 21st century?
A: All design is subject to ebbs and flows as styles and tastes change over time. Even the Shakers were subject to these aesthetic changes. In the late 19th century, the Shakers began to produce Victorian-influenced pieces that were more in line with their own and the public’s taste.
Despite this, there are timeless designs that appeal to generation after generation, and I believe that Shaker design is one of these. It represents a classic American look that will remain popular even as styles change.