Shaker sampler

Few samplers were made in Shaker communities. This example is a sweet and simple piece of work, finely made and laid out in a clear composition. It illustrates the well-known Shaker mission to produce architecture and decorative arts that were functional but beautiful and that depended on the bare essentials of form for their decorative appeal.

Credit: Purchase, Edward J. Scheider Gift, in memory of Kathleen N. Scheider, and David S. and Elizabeth W. Quackenbush Gift, 2008