DESCRIPTION: In the early 1800s the Shakers began to sell many of their high quality hand made goods including baskets, seeds, brooms, boxes, and chairs. The hub of the commercial Shaker basket making was Mount Lebanon and the first offered baskets for sale in 1809 were sturdy working baskets used for gardening and outdoors use. Several hundred baskets were produced annually as early as 1840 and in the later part of the 1800's as many as over three thousand baskets were made in a year. We are pleased to offer this Antique New England Shaker Handmade Black Ash Huge Gathering Basket with a Carved Swing Handle from Mount Lebanon New York circa early 1800s for your consideration. The New England Shakers were known to make beautiful handmade baskets and each of their baskets express a signature of style and craftsmanship. One must look at all of the details that are incorporated into making up this Very Fine Antique New England Shaker Swing Handle Basket. These Shaker baskets were made with pride as with everything the New England Shakers did. These Antique Baskets embody an idea of utility but posses many characteristics that differs from other baskets, in the concept and finish. The ratio of weavers to uprights is noted in the New England Shaker made baskets. The ends of the weavers on this Antique Shaker Basket are tapered out so they would not overlap with rigidness or bumpiness, which is only seen on Shaker made baskets. The Handles are beautifully formed and carved. Every Basket the Shakers made they pared down, refined down, to the critical requirements of the need. The Inside of this Beautiful Shaker Made basket displays no overturned weavers as they wanted the basket to have a neat clean appearance on the inside of the basket. Every other weaver was cut at the rim of the basket to allow for this beautiful inside finish. The outside shows every other weaver tapered and tuned down on the outside of the Antique Basket. You would only find this type of precision and attention to detail is only found on Shaker made baskets. The Antique New England Shaker Basket tapers toward the bottom and has a full bulbous body with woven tapered skids for the bottom to "wear" better. The Rim on the Basket is finished in the same fashion as the Taghkanic Basket with a Criss Cross Finish that gives a beautiful appearance and durability to the double bentwood rim. Notice the tapered bentwood handle that end in the center of the basket. The Handles are finely carved and notched and shaped into the length of the basket and the handle is hand carved, steam bent and pegged. There is an old nail that has secured the handle over years of time. The Antique New England Shaker Basket is in excellent condition with one minor handle loop that the taper has slight loss. This does not effect the antique basket's strength in any manner. There are no breaks or damage to the woven splints on this Outstanding New England Rare Shaker Gathering Basket with Swing Carved Handle.

MEASUREMENTS: Handle to handle is 16 inches, 10 Inches high not including handle, and 48 inches round in circumference.

Decorative Interior
Antique Baskets