Shaker #1 Production Armchair
South Family, Mount Lebanon, NY | c. 1880
Maple with natural fiber rush
Original stain and varnish surface
28” h. x 16” w. x 12” d.; seat: 11 ½” h.
The chair is perhaps the most recognizable Shaker object. In the mid-nineteenth century, chair production became an important industry of the Mount Lebanon Shaker community and, in 1872, the South Family built a new chair factory, which facilitated increased production and distribution of what would become the best-known Shaker product. Chairs were offered in a selection of styles and materials, and in eight sizes—0 being the smallest, 7 the largest.
This chair, stamped “1” on the reverse of the top back slat, is the second smallest chair the Shakers produced—a perfect fit for a toddler or pre-schooler. Made of maple with rush seat, the chair retains its original South Family chair factory decalcomania stamped in gold leaf on the inside of a rear post, certifying the authenticity of the piece as Shaker-made.
To inquire about this piece,
please contact us by phone:
914-763-8144
Or, you can reach us by email: jkr@jkrantiques.com