Rare painted maple and pine Shaker yellow oval box Enfield, Grafton County, New Hampshire, dated 1836

Inscribed underside of lid, pencil: From CA. Enfield. N.H.1836.

Willis Henry Auctions, Marshfield, Massachusetts, "Shaker Auction," June 4, 1983, lot 239
Gregory and Barbara Reynolds, Barnet, Vermont
Skinner Auctioneers, Boston, Massachusetts, "The Collection of Gregory R. and Barbara Reynolds of Narnet, Vermont", October 27-28, 1989, lot 388
David A. Schorsch, New York, New York

"Folk Art Revealed," New York, American Folk Art Museum, November 16, 2004-August 23, 2009

American Radiance, The Ralph Esmerian Gift to the American Folk Art Museum, p. 313, fig. 275

Appears to be in excellent condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Utilitarian woodenware of various kinds was a staple of Shaker villages throughout the nineteenth century and—in several of the more vigorous communities—into the twentieth century as well.¹ Perhaps the most characteristic of these were oval boxes, which the Shakers produced in many sizes, both for household use and for sale to the public. Although the form was not a Shaker innovation, it was so fully developed and refined by the Believers that it has become symbolic of their craftsmanship. Among the Shakers at New Lebanon, New York, oval boxes were made as early as 1798.²

The Shaker village at Enfield, New Hampshire, was founded in 1793 and remained active until 1923, when its remaining members moved to New Hampshire's other Shaker community, at Canterbury. The production of woodenware was an important industry at Enfield; the North Family there produced wooden pails and tubs for sale in large quantities. Enfield is also one of the communities for which the large-scale production of oval boxes is documented.³

Although private ownership of personal property technically does not exist within Shaker society, small items often were passed from Believer to Believer as keepsakes. In particular, gifts of oval boxes or other woodenware served as a means of expressing affection and esteem. This exceptionally fine and diminutive box carries a presentation inscription, indicating that the practice began early in Shaker history. "C.A." may be H. Chase Allard or Cynthia Annis, members of two large natural families that became Shakers at Enfield. -G.C.W.

¹ Brother Delmer C. Wilson (1873-1961) of Sabbathday Lake, Maine, the nation's sole remaining Shaker community, was still producing Shaker boxes and carriers in the 1950s. In the late 1990s, members of the community revived the practice.
² Edward D. Andrews, Community Industries of the Shakers (Albany, N.Y.: Univ. of the State of New York, 1933), p. 160.
³ June Sprigg and Jim Johnson, Shaker Woodenware: A Field Guide (Great Barrington, Mass.: Berkshire House, 1991), p. 26.