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Object Label

The Shakers were a religious community that emigrated from England in the eighteenth century and were guided by the principles of honesty, simplicity, and practicality—qualities reflected in their furniture designs. Their works typically lack ornamentation, which was thought to be boastful and fetishize worldly goods. Instead, Shaker designs display an appreciation of raw materials and good craftsmanship.

This type of ladder-back chair was a core business for the Shakers. The rear feet are fitted with tilters, a Shaker invention that allowed the sitter to tip the chair backward without damaging the feet.

Caption

Shaker Community. Chair, 1830–1870. Pine, 36 7/8 × 18 × 19 in. (93.7 × 45.7 × 48.3 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mrs. Oscar Bernstien, 77.84.2. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 77.84.2_PS9.jpg)

Gallery

Not on view

Title

Chair

Date

1830–1870

Medium

Pine

Classification

Furniture

Dimensions

36 7/8 × 18 × 19 in. (93.7 × 45.7 × 48.3 cm)

Signatures

no signature

Inscriptions

no inscriptions

Markings

Impressed on top of back slat: "3"

Credit Line

Gift of Mrs. Oscar Bernstien

Accession Number

77.84.2

Rights

Creative Commons-BY

You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.

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