University of Chicago Press

Bard Graduate Center

Review
Author(s): June Sprigg
Review by: June Sprigg
Source: Studies in the Decorative Arts, Vol. 4, No. 2 (SPRING-SUMMER 1997), pp. 123-125
Published by: University of Chicago Press on behalf of the Bard Graduate Center
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 Book Reviews 123

lavabosetnowinBerlinismentioned intheinventory ofthe thefashionsin serpentineand theevaluationsofit,a history

AnsbachKunstkammer, dated1686.15 outstandingforits vivid and clear descriptivestyle.Even
Hover'srichlyillustratedwork,whosenumerouscolor thoughusingthiscomprehensive book is burdenedby the
plates impressivelyillustratethe beautyof the color of omissionofmostfigure referencesin thetextand thelackof
serpentinestone(in particular
insilverorsilver-gilt
mounts), an index,it is neverthelessan importantstandardwork,
displaysher exemplary researchin a greatvarietyof fields whichwillbe valuableformanyyearsto come.
(mineralogy,pharmacology, economicand tradehistory, art
and culturalhistory)on a materialof art,decoration,and LorenzSeelig
craftthathas not been systematically researchedto date. ChiefCurator
Withhercomprehensive of
descriptions the manifold usesof BavarianNationalMuseum,Munich
theauthor a - Translated
byMariaSchlatter
serpentine, provides fascinating history both
of

NOTES

1. See ThomasRaff,Die Sprache

derMaterialien,
Anleitungzu einerIkonologie 7. "Etliche auß serpentinstain gedrehetekrieglen";Ronald Gobiet, Der
derWerkstoffe
(Munich,Berlin,1994),as wellas twentyessayson thesubject zwischen
Briefwechsel Philipp
HainhoferundHerzogAugust
d.J.vonBraunschweig'
authors:"Realität und Bedeutungder Dinge im zeitlichen
by different Lüneburg (Munichand Berlin,1984),763,no. 1419.
Wandel. Werkstoffe:Ihre Gestaltungund ihre Funktion,"Anzeigerdes
Germanischen
Nationalmuseums 8. JulesGuiffrey,Inventaire du mobilier
général de la CouronnesousLouisXIV,
(1995): 7-239.
pt. 1 (Paris,1885), 195.
2. See GüntherSchiedlausky, undWärmeapfel
Kühlkugel (Munichand Berlin,
9. See Glanville,Silver,
317,fig.186.
1984),42.

3. Ronald W. Lightbown, SecularGoldsmiths'

Workin MedievalFrance:A 10. Sotheby's,Die Sammlung
der Markgrafen und Großherzögevon Baden,
Baden-Baden(October5-21,1995),vol. 2, Kunstkammer,
lotno. 384.
History(London, 1978), 60; and JennyStratford,
The Bedford
Inventories
(London,1993),57, 217,344. 11. See the moreconclusiveterminology
forserpentinecontainersused by
4. See, mostrecently,
MonikaMeine-Schawe,Die GrablegederWettiner im RenateScholz,HumpenundKrüge:Trinkgefäße 16.-20.Jahrhundert
(Munich,
Dom zu Freiberg(Munich,1992), esp. 101-2, 186; idem,"GiovanniMaria 1978), 145-46,figs.165-66.
Nosseni.Ein Hofkünstler
in Sachsen,"Jahrbuch desZentralinstituts
fürKunst' 12. Hanns-Ulrich
Haedeke,Zinn,3rded. (Munich,1983),64ff;and Thomas
5/6(1989-1990):283-325,esp. 285, 303, 316, n. 16; GeraldHeres,
geschichte Dexel,Die Formen
desGebrauchsgeräts
(Munich,1986), 120.
"Werkstoff und Werk in der Geschichteder DresdenerKunstkammer,"
AnzeigerdesGermanischen
Nationalmuseums (1995): 126-29,and esp. 126-27. 13. See CatherineArminjonand Nicole Blondel,Principesd'analysescienti-
fique:Objetscivilsdomestiques,
Vocabulaire
(Paris,1984),566-67,no. 2657.
5. HenryHavard,Dictionnaire
del'ameublement
etdela décoration
(Paris,n.d.),
4: 1016-17. 14. See Havard,Dictionnaire,
4: fig.at 1017.

6. PhilippaGlanville,Silver
inTudorandEarlyStuart (London,1990),
England 15. BavarianState ArchiveNuremberg, reg. 103a III, DukedomAnsbach,
270-71;see also317 and391. PrivateRecordsOffice,Bamberg
ace. no. 71, p. 560.

TimothyD. Rieman and JeanM. Burks, The worshipservicesto observe the famousShaker dance,
Complete Book of Shaker Furniture. New York: interestinpurchasing theSociety'shighlyregardedproducts,
HarryN. Abrams,1993. 400 pp., 117 colorpls.,268 b/w orperhapsmerely infinding
something todo whilevacation-
ills.,77 linedrgs.,bibliog.,glossary,
index.$75. ingat a nearbyspa orresort-
Probably no one cameto examine,letaloneadmire,the
In the nineteenthcentury,the furniture that the Shakers'tablesand chairsin the nineteenthcentury - and
Shakersmade and used was arguablythe least interesting whocan wonderat this?The SistersandBrothers themselves
aspect of theirlife to outsidersfrom"the World."The wereso interesting and the communalsettlements' barns,
thousands ofvisitors
whomadeAmerica'snineteenprincipal dwellings, workshops, gardens,and orchardswereso charac-
Shakervillagesa destination weredrawnbymanyreasons: teristically largeand splendid - indeed,the successof the
curiosity aboutthiscommunal and celibate desire
society, for whole enterprisewas so astonishing - that the humble
or
enlightenment,merely entertainment in attending
public accouterments of everydaylifewereunderstandably lost in

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124 Studiesin theDecorativeArts/Spring-Summer
1997

thebigpicture.Besides,thethingsthenappearedplainand excellenceand versatility of skillsand servedas tangible

old-fashioned. A century thatembracedVictoriana, stylistic examples oftheir faith.
revivalsofeverydescription, andthatearnedthesobriquet of Althoughmanyofthemakersarenow"anonymous," it
the "GildedAge,"was not likelyto paymuchattentionto mustbe remembered thattheywereknownand appreciated
thedesignofShakerfurniture, especiallysinceitwas,witha in theirown time by theirBrothersand Sistersin the
fewexceptions, notforsale. communalfamily. So a sprightly, sturdy,low-backeddining
One askswhatmeaningtheirfurniture assumedto the chair thatsays"utility"to us said somethingmuch more
Shakersthemselves. The UnitedSocietyofBelieversin the personalto theShakerswhousedit:forexample,that"Elder
FirstandSecondAppearanceofChristplacedtheirfocuson Micajah mademe,"and "whatan inspiration the unselfish
spirituallifeand salvation,committing themselves to obedi- workofthisagedBrother is to theyouth,"and "he wasa fine
ence to the teachingsand exampleofChristas revealedin stonecutter whenhe was younger, butnow thathe can'tdo
the lifeofJesusand ofAnn Lee, the English-born founder heavywork,he has turnedto whathe can do,"and "he may
whobrought a handfuloffollowers to Americain 1774.To have retiredfromleadership,but see how gracefully he
thisday,withthesurvivaloffewerthana dozenShakersin turnedto humbleworkthatwillmakeus comfortable," and
one community, at SabbathdayLake, Maine, the Society's so on. Wherewe maysee onlya chair,theShakersprobably
primary concernremainsspiritual. saw a sermon,a lesson,and a messageoflove madesolidin
Yet the originalpractical,down-to-earth Yankeedis- pineandbirch.
ciplesunderstood the of a in
reality making living theirfarm It is no surprise thatShakerfurniture beganto attract
villages.Although "Mother Ann" preachedthe importance the favorableattentionof "the World" in the twentieth
offollowing Christianmodelsofcharity, pacifism,personal century, when the Shakersthemselvesweredwindlingin
purity,etc.,shealsorecognized theroleofthematerialworld numbersand closingtheircommunities one byone. There
in the pursuitof spiritualgrowth.For thosewho soughtto are a numberof reasonswhyShaker furniture has been
weanthemselves fromthevanitiesoftheworld,thesacrifice "discovered," and whyit is betterknownand morewidely
of unnecessary or ornamented objectswas a time-honored appreciated at thistimethaneverbefore, butone standsover
place to start.IndividualBelieverstookthevowofpoverty, all the othersin myunderstanding. We are stillso close to
consigning theirestatesto the use of the wholecommunal theonsetoftheIndustrial Revolution - a changethatis no
family.The simplicity thatresulted wasmanifest throughout lessprofound orpivotalinthehistory ofhumankind thanthe
Shakervillages,frombuildingsto furnishings and clothing. NeolithicRevolutionintroduction ofagriculturesometwelve
MotherAnn also believedthatan appearanceoforderliness thousandyearsago- thatwe have not yetadjustedto the
and cleanlinesswas important as an outwardreflection ofa disturbances oftherhythms oflifethatan industrial
economy
pure,orderly within.
spirit It was largelyAnn's understand- has imposed.
ingof the relationbetweenthe spiritualand materialthat Takingthe longviewofhumanhistory, we are among
laid the foundation forthe nexttwocenturiesof a Shaker thosegenerations thatare understandably out of balance,
way makingthings.Generations
of ofconvertsrepeatedone struggling to makesenseofa brand-new kindofpowerover
ofMotherAnn'smaxims:"Putyourhandsto workand your creation, just as our ancestors with
struggled theaftermath of
heartstoGod, anda blessingwillattendyou." the introduction of fire,weapons,and farming. We are far
So fortheShakers,thefurniture thatmembers oftheir frombeingat homewiththenewrules,and theworldevents
communalfamiliesmade was important in morethanone of the eighteenth,nineteenth,and twentiethcenturies
way.The beds,tables,chairs,desks,workbenches, and other reflectthe chaos that accompaniessuch a world-shifting
usefulitemsforthedwellingandworkshops servedtheneeds development. In themidstofthecomplexity ofthecurrent
of dailylife.They servedotherspiritualfunctions as well. revolution anda generalsenseofsurfeit - ImeldaMarcosand
The workstestified to the dedicationand abilityof their her hundredsof pairsof shoes caughtour attentionfora
makers, whobelievedthattheyreceivedtheirtalentsas gifts reason- the absolutesimplicity of Shakerfurniture is as
fromGod and that the rightuse of one talent would refreshing and clear as a tin cup of cold water. There is
encouragethe giftof another.Well-madechairsand tables nothing we can't understand about,say,a Shaker chair- a
that remainedcorrectlyunadornedbespoke the makers' handfulofstretchers, fourposts,a fewyardsoftapeorsplint.

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 Book Reviews 125

The beautyof Shaker furniture for our time, I'm senseof whathas been treatedheretofore principallyfrom
convinced, is the combination of simplicityof partsand the perspectiveof design.The authorshave chosen to
sophistication ofproportion thatwehavecometoappreciate organizethe book by community of originratherthan by
in otherexamplesofworlddesign,fromtheParthenonto a furnituretype,placingthe furniture in itsproperhistorical
Japanesetea bowl.Such things,blessedly, have no moving contextand allowingmeaningful comparisons betweenex-
sit
parts.They still,they don'tbeep or make noisesat us,and amples from other communities' woodworking traditions.
theirmystery is the good old-fashionedkind,freeof the This volumeis a thoughtful compendiumof all kindsof
modernwilesof microchips. They are not smarterthanwe relevantinformation, fromchecklistsand succinctbiogra-
are, at least in the way thatour VCR, PC, car, and even
phiesofidentifiableShakercraftsmen, topertinent technical
toasterare. They speak,however,of a wiserand a more detailsabout manufacture, to the patternsof influencein
ancientworld,oftheold ways,oftheunchanging relation-
designand construction amongShakervillagesand between
ships between human hands and stone,wood, and clay.We theShakerSocietyand theoutsideWorld.
whoarelivingon thebrinkofa newmillennium arefinding
The illustrationsare beautifully clear and- even bet-
comfortin the simplestthings,especiallyas we age. A
comfortable seat.A steadyplaceto seta lamp.A dependable ter- so are the authors'motivesforincludingthem,as the
desk.Thesethingsaregood. well-reasoned captionsmakeevident.It is ofparticular value
The Complete Book of Shaker Furnituredoes much to that a thirdof the photographsare in color. The early
bringthereader'sunderstanding ofShakerfurniture within publicationof Shakerfurniture in black and whiteestab-
the frame of reference of nineteenth-centuryShaker life. lished and perpetuated a kind of aestheticdistancethat
This splendidstudyrepresents untoldhours of intelligent perhapsservedto presentShakerfurniture moreas ideal
examination ofhundreds ofexamplesofShakerworkbytwo formsthanas real itemsmadeof wood byrealpeople.The
ofthefield'smostable observers. JeanM. Burkswascurator useofcolorphotographs ofShakerfurniture, introduced only
ofcollectionsat Canterbury ShakerVillagein New Hamp- withinthepastdecade,does muchto removethisPlatonic
shirewhilea fewShakersstilllivedthere.(The community
artificiality.
closedin 1992 withthedeathofitslastSister.)She wason
The book'sintroductory sectionexaminesShakerSoci-
handwhena troveofpreviously unknownShakerfurniture
ety origins,daily life, the culturalsetting,the general
cameto lightin one ofthebuildings followingthedeathofa
resident ofthevillage,andherworkplacingShaker aestheticsofShakerdesign,and theirtoolsand technology.
longtime
furniture in the contextof late nineteenth-century The authors'strengthslie in areasthataremorefactualthan
design
andShakerlifehasearnedherhighregardin thefield. theoretical:an example is theirin-depth, step-by-step analy-
TimothyD. Rieman,who is an accomplished cabinet- sisof BrotherFreegiftWells's construction of a bookcase with
maker, hasgiventhestudythekindofinsight andunderstand- glassdoors,documentedin his journalentriesof 1934.The
ing that only a workingcraftsperson can offer.Rieman's bodyofthetextexaminesShakerfurniture insevensections,
abilityto see and interpret a rangeof evidence- typesof each devotedto a Shaker"bishopric," or organizational unit
wood,thespecificangleofa dovetail,theparticular propor- of two,three,or fourcommunities in a geographicregion.
tionsofa legorpost,andso on- hasenabledhimto identify Since Shakerworkers had a tradition ofmovingwithinthe
Shaker workmanship in heretoforeunrecognizedforms. communities of theirbishopric,thismethodof organizing
Theseforms had notpreviously beenseenas Shakerbecause thematerialrepresents a logicaldecision.
theydid notfallwithinthe "classic"typesfamiliar through There is virtuallynot a wastedwordor picturein this
books and exhibitionssince the 1920s, when Faith and massivereference work.In a worldofbig,flossy designbooks
EdwardDemingAndrewswereamongthefirstto publicize thatare heavyon wordsbut thinon substance,Burksand
Shakerdesign.Thereis muchin thisbookto surprise those Rieman'stext shines. Their volume is aptly titled "the
whothought theyknewwhatShakerfurniture is.Ifthiswere completebook" on the subject,and it willstandfora long
itssole contribution,Riemanand Burkswouldhave earned timeas thesinglemostimportant workon Shakerfurniture -
theirplaceas authorsofan essentialtexton thesubject. if
theone to have youcan haveonlyone.
There is more,however.The volume consolidates
information thathas appearedin worksforthe past half- JuneSprigg
century scholarlystudy,and it makesbetterhistorical
of Arthistorian, Pittsfield,Massachusetts

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