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How To Identify Shaker American Antique Baskets: Even More Sought After Than Easter Baskets

Easter baskets are not the only baskets longed for in homes this and every year. Among American antique and reproductions, the Shakers have been justly credited for many pieces of home décor, from household furniture to utilitarian baskets. While many people believe they own a coveted basket crafted by the Shakers it would not have been possible for the small population of Shakers, even in their heyday to have handmade as many baskets as they are often credited for. As disappointing as it may seem, it is usually best to assume that the basket you are have found or own is not a Shaker.

While the Shakers created baskets of great functionality and beauty there was other very notable basket makers living and working in the same region as the Shaker villages. Many of these outside crafters actually rivaled the skills of the finest Shaker basket weaver. From local Native Americans to immigrant Germans, many artisan baskets were woven in the 1800‘s. Local Native Americans would sell items to the Shaker villagers, among them were baskets. The Shakers were even given credit for baskets found in their villages that they actually themselves purchased from fellow basket makers outside their communities.

Shaker baskets can be categorized into two different styles: the working basket and the fancy basket. A basket made for work may be used every day to carry heavy loads or to tote items in. A Shaker working baskets would be task-specific, made for a particular use. There were baskets for cheese making, laundry, and gardening. Since each task called for a specific design, the Shakers created one for it. A Shaker basket could be differentiated from other basket weaver’s work by certain specifications, or hallmarks, so to speak.

The Shakers were great business people and well aware of their marketability. They had every intention on capitalizing on this fact and used the monies earned to help others. Fancy baskets were made by the Shakers to sell in their gift shops or export to resorts and hotels. The diminutive fancy basket was always under eight inches; perfect for packing as a souvenir or gift. Only the sewing basket and the quatrefoil tub styles would have been bigger.

American antique baskets are a highly collected and sought after commodity since baskets are appreciated and can be integrated somewhere in almost every décor theme. Because it is treasured many unscrupulous or even naively misled individuals may try to sell you a basket as a true Shaker item. If you think that you may have found one, analyze the item closely.

There are obvious signs, even in the highest quality baskets, of the heritage of a Shaker basket.

1. Handles should be uniformly shaped

2. The wood joinery should be done with precision

3. The inside and outside rims should match in weight, width, and contour

4. The basket should be woven of a flat, not round, splint

5. The primary wood of the basket is normally a brown ash but the secondary wood can be white oak

6. Check the specific size ratio between the weavers and the uprights. Is it 3-to-1? The weaver is the basket strands that weave through the spokes and the uprights are the strands that stand upright and form the side supports of the basket.

If the answer is no to any of these questions, then the basket is not a Shaker.

Remember, just because you now know it is not Shaker does not make it valueless. There were many amazing and highly collected 19th-century crafters of furniture, silver items, art glass, clockmakers, etc. Would finding one artists work and not the others make the find any less desired? There were many high quality baskets makers in this era, not just Shakers. The Amish today craft solid wood furniture in the style of Shaker wood artists and are a beautiful showcase to any basket collection, Shaker or not.

Tags: , amish baskets, baskets, easter basket, german baskets, native american baskets, shaker baskets, shakers

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 1st, 2009 at 12:02 am and is filed under Accessories, Organization and Storage, The Shakers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.