Inspired by a visit to Hancock Shaker Village in Massachusetts, these boxes are made in the traditional way by bending thin veneers and nailed together with small copper tacks. The tops and bottoms are held in place by small pegs.
The history of the Shaker box
The Shakers started making oval boxes in New England around 1800.
They were the original stacking boxes, used for dry food goods and storage for needle craft items such as buttons and thread.
Their distinctive look came from cutting thin veneers of wood and bending them round oval formers after being soaked in hot water.
The lids are made on each box to ensure a good fit every time.
The swallowtail projections were added for practical purposes in the construction as they allowed the wood to expand and contract without splitting during temperature and humidity changes.
The copper tacks used in the construction of these boxes are made on machines that date back to the late 1800’s and are the same machines used by the original Shaker box makers.
“Don’t make something unless it is both necessary and useful; but if it is both necessary and useful, don’t hesitate to make it beautiful.” Shaker philosophy
Whisky barrel boxes
The Shaker boxes I make are made from thinly sliced veneers from whisky barrel staves. The tops and bottoms are solid oak made from whisky barrels.
The process...
We need your consent to load the translations
We use a third-party service to translate the website content that may collect data about your activity. Please review the details in the privacy policy and accept the service to view the translations.