Page 44 - sept_2022

Nathan Taylor: Defining the Shaker Basket

ack in the early 1970s, Nathan Taylor and his duplicates. “To my knowledge, no one else has
partner Martha Wetherbee went all in on ever been loaned these items,” said Taylor.
Bdefining and replicating the Shaker handmade One piece they were able to use was the only
baskets. “It was obvious to us that the Shakers made existing Mt. Lebanon Puzzle Cathead mold.
unique and beautiful baskets, but no one knew which “There has never been found a Shaker basket
ones in the Shaker collections were theirs. No one made on this mold. Because the Shakers had a
knew what they were made of when they were system and we discovered clues to this system we
made or who made them. At that point, we made could reproduce a basket that we could feel
pursuing this knowledge our life's goal. We sold assured represented the original.”
everything we had which was considerable. We
moved into the Sanbornton woods into a cabin that I History Learned
had built in six days. I quit my job with the Basket making had always been a craft of the
Telephone Company and we lived without water and folks with the lowest income. Taylor discovered
electricity for more than two years while we pursued that Shaker basketmaking went back into the
the Shakers basket history.” 1790s and became an industry in the 1820s.
Their basketmaking was the craft of the Church
The Trip of Discovery Family Shakers which was the lead family and the
Taylor and Wetherbee started by attempting to elders of this family were the Supreme Leader of
make reproductions. They taught themselves how to all Shakers.
take apart a black ash tree to create the strips used to make the baskets. The Shakers with their 19 communities were the first wealthy basket
“It took us six to eight years before we could make baskets worthy of makers. The Church Family Shakers at New Lebanon, New York wove
comparing to theirs.”
During this time the pair began to travel to Shaker museums to gain
access to the archives. Thanks to their research done working within the
Shaker communities, they were able to approach directors and curators
with letters written by Shaker Eldresses Bertha Lindsay and Gertrude
Sopule, and were able to see and handle the tools and molds used
by the Shakers.
A breakdown cat’s head The added bonus
basket mold of white pine was being able to
consisting of three pieces: borrow them for
two not quite halves use in Taylor’s
between centers turned own shop, allowing
with dovetail dadoes cut them to further 90+ Vendors • 21,000 Sq. Ft.
down their centers, and a disect the basket- Open Daily 10-5 • Closed Tuesdays
thin center section with R070490
dovetail ways screwed to making system
each face. used to produce earlyowego.com • Owego, NY
the baskets and
photo Shaker Museum
create accurate Exit 64 off I-86 607-223-4723

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42 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles