Shaker Wash Stand (1810–30)
A Shaker wash stand from about 1810–30, with a shaped splash board around the top, slender tapered legs and a lower shelf.
Design characteristics
Before running water, a wash stand held a basin and pitcher in each bedroom. This Shaker example has a raised splash board on three sides with softly shaped ends, a top for the basin and a shelf below for towels. It translates surprisingly well into a modern bathroom vanity: an open, leggy base, a wood or stone top and a backsplash with the same shaped profile.
Classification
- Style
- Shaker
- Category
- Bathroom Vanities
- Material
- Pine
- Motifs
- Splashback
- Date
- 1810–30
- Maker or designer
- United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing (“Shakers”)
- Recorded medium
- Pine
- Dimensions
- 39 1/4 x 30 1/8 x 16 1/16 in. (99.7 x 76.5 x 40.8 cm)
- Evidence
- Documented historical object
Architectural context
Plain panels, peg rails and built-in storage made with exacting care. Shaker communities, United States · c. 1780–1900.
