Gathering basket
(late 19th century)
Medium
Black ash (Fraxinus nigra)
Measurements
22.2 × 59.4 × 58.7 cm
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Marjorie Josephs-Wilks Bequest, 2025
Gallery location
18th & 19th Century Decorative Arts & Paintings Gallery
Level 2, NGV International
About this work
The United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, commonly known as the Shakers, was an American Protestant sect with over six thousand members at the peak of its popularity during the mid-nineteenth century. The eighteen communities were spread across the United States from Maine to Kentucky, with the largest and most influential community established in 1787 at New Lebanon, New York. The guiding Shaker principles of honesty, utility and simplicity found expression in the manufacture of their home furnishings, including furniture, textiles and objects, which are recognised for their high quality and minimalist design.
The large scale and tight weave of this basket suggests that it was made to aid in the harvesting of fruit, possibly apples. The sturdy double handles meant that it could be carried by two people once it became full. Ash was the preferred wood for Shaker basketry as it was easy to split, manipulate and weave.
Artwork Details
Place/s of Execution
New England, United States
Accession Number
2025.816
Department
International Decorative Arts