Religion in Wood: A Book of Shaker Furniture

Dust jacket notes: "The deep religious faith and extraordinary spiritual dedication of the Shaker sect is probably nowhere more strongly reflected than in the nearly faultless workmanship of their furniture and other artifacts. Always striving for functional perfection, and shunning ornamental effect, the Shaker craftsmen wrought household furnishing which are striking in their quiet refinement and unique beauty. Religion in Wood presents eighty-one magnificent photographs of Shaker furniture from Shaker settlements in various states. Subtle variations in furniture design are discernible from region to region, but all examples retain the simplicity and charm so characteristic of the Shaker craft. Included are pieces from New Lebanon and Watervliet, New York; Enfield and Canterbury, New Hampshire; Harvard, Hancock, and Tyringham, Massachusetts; Union Village, Ohio; and Pleasant Hill, Kentucky. Two articles by Mr. and Mrs. Andrews and one by Alan Gowans present fascinating discussions of Shaker origins, their communal villages, their deep religious faith, and the consecration of their personal lives, which is so apparent in their workmanship."