Shaker Sewing Desk
Enfield, NH | c. 1860
Yellow birch, pine, hardwood, and brass
Old Shaker refinish
38 ½” h. x 31 ¾” w. x 27 ¾” d.
Provenance: Walter S. and Helen Bucklin, Brookline, MA
This Sisters’ Sewing Desk is a very fine example of the classic Enfield form. The lower, panel construction case is elevated on square-to-round legs and contains two sets of drawers: three drawers on the front and three on the right side. All drawers are fully dovetailed with molded fronts and turned-hardwood knobs. Three of the drawers are outfitted with iron locks and diamond escutcheons. An expandable work surface with breadboard ends can be pulled from beneath the surface of the case. Above, an elevated gallery contains six small drawers, also dovetailed with molded fronts and single hardwood knobs.
The Sewing Desk was initially painted red before being refinished by the Shakers. The original red paint—a vibrant, tomato-red hue—is retained on the back of the Desk and the underside of the pull-out work surface. Overall, the piece is in an excellent state of preservation.
The emergence of the Sewing Desk as a furniture form unique to Shaker communities illustrates how the Shakers’ economic life evolved around the time of the Civil War. Through the late 18th and much of the 19th century, the Shaker economy was predominantly agrarian—major industries included garden seeds, medicinal herbs, brooms, wool, dairy, and products made from maple, apples, and other crops. As the 19th century wore on, a shift began to occur. Shakers increasingly relied on products made by the Sisters—poplarware, rag rugs, knitwear, gloves, bonnets—and the host of other items sold in the Shaker stores. Income from these items supported the Society into and through the 20th century. The intention and care put into the furniture made specifically for Sisters’ work—evidenced by this Sewing Desk—illustrates the value of the Sisters’ economy and the forward-thinking emphasis on gender equality more broadly within Shaker communities.
For more on Sewing Desks made by the Enfield Shaker community, listen to the podcast Curious Objects, produced by Magazine Antiques, featuring interviews with John Keith Russell and Sarah Margolis-Pineo, as well as Brother Arnold Hadd of the United Society of Shakers, historian Glendyne Wergland, and curator/collections manager Michael O’Connor:
Part 1 | Faith & Furniture
Part 2 | The Afterlife
>>
Read more about
Walter S. & Helen Bucklin
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Or, you can reach us by email: jkr@jkrantiques.com