Terms and conditions of use
Table swift
(c. 1900)
Medium
wood, string (cotton), metal
Credit Line
Marjorie Josephs-Wilks Bequest, 2025
Gallery location
Not on display
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 table swift was an important tool in textile production in Shaker communities. It enabled a single person to roll yarn into a ball without the need of a second person to feed the yarn through to them, significantly increasing productivity. The base of this swift is made with a clamp to enable it to be fixed to the end of a table when in use. Like an umbrella, it is also designed to collapse down, making it easily movable and practical to store.