John Keith Russell

To the Shakers, work is a form of worship. “Put your hands to work and give your hearts to God,” as Mother Ann Lee intoned. Shaker communities were designed to be heaven on earth, and the built environment was a manifestation of a profound connection to the divine. Like tangible prayers, objects were made as simply, beautifully, and perfectly as possible. Some of the most thoughtful Shaker designs are tools made for work—cooking, cleaning, woodworking, and sewing—such as this Scoop. ¶ In the World beyond the Shaker village, the time and labor required to produce such an object would not make sense. The Scoop is carved from a single piece of maple and whitewashed in a light coat of paint—a simple yet exceptional example of Shaker craft. Shaker communities produced several types of dry measures and scoops for use in kitchen and workshops. A well-known example with a form mirroring this piece was used in the laundry for dry soap.