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About Shaker Museum and Library
Past Loan Exhibitions
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Past Loan Exhibitions
2007: Southern Perspective:
A Sampling from the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts The Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA) in Winston-Salem, North Carolina is home to the world’s most comprehensive collection of fine and decorative arts made in the American South before 1820. MESDA exhibited over fifty of its rare, historic objects at the 53rd annual Winter Antiques Show. The loan exhibition, designed by Stephen Saitas and sponsored by the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies for an eleventh consecutive year. Founded in 1965 by Frank L. Horton and his mother, Theo L. Taliaferro, MESDA's mission is to collect, raise awareness of, and pioneer research in the category of early southern decorative arts. The antebellum American South was an area of diverse peoples, cultures, lifestyles and geographic regions. According to Robert Leath, Vice-President of Collections and Research at MESDA, the collection helps “dispel the myth that the South was a cultural monolith. In fact, it was a vibrant place with a mixture of cultural and religious groups—English, Scottish, African, German, Dutch and French Huguenot—that melded and, in the process, created distinctive objects that are part of our shared American culture." The loan exhibition featured works that represent the three areas of MESDA’s South: the Low Country, the Chesapeake region and the Backcountry. The Chesapeake area and the Low Country are situated on the southern coastline. Both areas prospered in early America by exporting cash crops, such as cotton and tobacco, leading to the creation of urban trade centers that emulated sophisticated notions of English style and design. Located inland, the Backcountry encompasses parts of present day Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and the Carolinas. Many of these settlers were Europeans who had escaped religious persecution and found a new home that became a potpourri of national cultures and ethnic styles.  | Coffee Pot, c. 1745-65, Alexander Petrie. Hailing from Charleston, South Carolina, this ornate rococo coffee pot ranks among the country’s finest examples of 18th century silver. |
 | View of Charles-Town, c. 1774, Thomas Leitch. Created on the eve of the country’s Independence, this rare painting provides an exceptional view of Charleston as seen from the harbor. |
 | Mrs. John Beale, c. 1765-67, John Wollaston. One of the most influential 18th century colonial painters, Wollaston is largely responsible for introducing the English Rococo portraiture style to this side of the Atlantic. |
 | Court Cupboard, c. 1660-80, maker unknown. Believed to be the earliest, most intact piece of southern furniture in America, this rare piece is made of oak with yellow pine and walnut, and originates from southeast Virginia. |
 | Tea Table, c. 1750, Robert Walker. A masterpiece of Virginian craftsmanship, the ornately carved rim of its mahogany top puts this tea table in a class of its own. This tea table descended in the family of Carter Braxton, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. |
 | Portrait of Mistipee, Yoholo-Mico’s Son, c. 1825, Charles Bird King. Charles Bird King's most celebrated portraits were of North American Indians. This painting depicts a Creek Indian named Benjamin. Although Mistipee wears authentic Indian costume, his features and pose can clearly be traced to Gainsborough and the English Rococo. |
 | Shop Sign, c. 1773, Gottfried Aust. Gottfried Aust was the first potter to arrive in Wachovia, the name of the tract of land owned by the Moravians, and is responsible for one of the strongest and most vibrant pottery traditions in America. Dated 1773, this work served as a shop sign for his Salem pottery. |
 | Desk and Bookcase, c. 1801 (desk), 1806 (bookcase), John Shearer. John Shearer had a shop in Martinsburg, Virginia. Shearer’s pieces are unusual and distinctive due to his combination of baroque, rococo and neoclassical elements in his furniture. |
 | Fireback, c. 1770-92, Marlboro Furnace. Weighing in at nearly 300 pounds, this massive cast iron fireback was commissioned for George William Fairfax and bears his family’s coat of arms. The manufacturer, Marlboro Furnace, was owned by Isaac Zane Jr., a good friend of Thomas Jefferson. |
2006: George Washington's Mount VernonGeorge Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens is steeped in American history, with the richest and most comprehensive collection of George Washington-related artifacts and works of art in the world. Although primarily remembered for his contributions as general of the Continental Army and first president of the country, Washington was also a farmer, inventor and architect. Mount Vernon's collection shows Washington’s awareness and interest in 18th century style and design and offer a glimpse into how the Washingtons lived over 200 years ago. The historic home of the nation’s first president displayed dozens of significant treasures at the 52nd annual Winter Antiques Show. Designed by Stephen Saitas, the Winter Antiques Show loan exhibition was underwritten by the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies for the tenth consecutive year. Most of the objects included in the loan exhibition were not on display at Mount Vernon. In October 2006, these objects joined hundreds of others displayed in their new home at Mount Vernon, in the Ford Orientation Center and Donald W. Reynolds Museum & Education Center. The education complex is the major component of a campaign by George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens to create a state of the art facility that will help illuminate the life and legacy of the “Father of Our Country.” A new book on the fine and decorative arts of Mount Vernon, written by Curator Carol Borchert Cadou, was published by Hudson Hills Press to coincide with the Museum's opening. For public information call 703-780-2000; 703-799-8697 (TDD) or visit www.mountvernon.org.
2005: The New-York Historical Society Bicentennial:
Celebrating Two Centuries of Collecting
The New-York Historical Society holds one of the world’s foremost collections of historical artifacts, American art, and other materials documenting the history of the United States and New York. It is home to both one of the nation’s most distinguished independent research libraries and New York City’s oldest museum. Founded in 1804, its mission is to explore the richly layered history of New York City and State and the country, and serve as a national forum for the debate and examination of issues surrounding the making and meaning of history.
Highlights of the New-York Historical Society exhibition includedthe original watercolor rendering Great Blue Heron from John James Audubon’s famed Birds of America series; the armchair used by George Washington during his inauguration ceremony, and also in the ceremonies of presidents Ulysses S. Grant and James A. Garfield; a rare Tiffany Studios Cobweb lamp; and a selection of colonial and early American silver, including a teapot (ca. 1695) that may be the earliest extant example made in New York, and an elaborate presentation vase (1829) by noted Philadelphia silversmith Thomas Fletcher.
2004: A Celebration of the American Wing
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
At the 2004 Winter Antiques Show, A Celebration of the American Wing of The Metropolitan Museum of Art showcased the Museum's vast collection with a selection of paintings and decorative arts objects from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Colonial period highlights included a fine portrait (1773) by John Singleton Copley, a beautifully carved Philadelphia Chippendale tea table (1765-75), and a magnificent basket (1770-76) by master silversmith Myer Myers. The nineteenth-century display included a Federal-period pier tea table (1815-19) by Charles-Honoré Lannuier, a secretary desk (ca. 1882) by the Herter Brothers, Augustus Saint- Gaudens's bronze Diana (1894 or after), John Singer Sargent's Mr. and Mrs. I. N. Phelps Stokes (1897), and a selection of favrile glass vases by Louis Comfort Tiffany. This exhibition, which included many rarely loaned objects, suggested both the depth and breadth of the American Wing's collection. Housed in the American Wing, the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection of American art is the most comprehensive in the world, reflecting the Museum's long commitment to acquiring, exhibiting and studying the nation's fine and decorative arts. More than 18,000 paintings, sculptures and decorative arts are currently accessible to the public on four floors of the gallery and study areas. The period rooms and galleries survey American art from the seventeenth to the early twentieth century. The American Wing is currently undergoing significant alterations, which, once completed, will reflect the Metropolitan's continual dedication to the acquisition, display and interpretation of American art of the highest quality, breadth and interest. 2003: American Dreams, American Visions:
The Collections of Shelburne MuseumThe Shelburne Museum was founded by Electra Havemeyer Webb and has been described as "Vermont's Smithsonian." Electra Havemeyer Webb, one of the earliest collectors of Americana and American folk art, opened the museum to the public in 1947. Aptly characterized as a "collection of collections," the museum houses one of America's most extensive collections of folk, fine and decorative arts in 37 historic buildings and houses. The product of a lifetime of collecting by Mrs. Webb, the offerings include European Impressionist paintings in Mrs. Webb's recreated Park Avenue residence, hundreds of duck decoys housed in 1832 country home, and the 220-foot steamboat Ticonderoga, a National Historic Landmark. American Dreams, American Visions: The Collections of Shelburne Museum showcased the eclectic mix of Shelburne's collection of more than 80,000 objects that span three centuries and demonstrated Webb's commitment to establishing one of the most impressive assortments of paintings, folk art, and textiles, decorative arts, artifacts and architecture. The Mary Cassatt pastel Louisine Havemeyer and Her Daughter Electra, (1895), Grandma Moses' After the Wedding, (1942) and the pair of portraits by William Prior of The Reverend John Lawson and Mrs. Lawson, (1843) were joined by striking examples of weather vanes, trade signs, textiles and decoys. 2002: Shells, Scrolls & Cabrioles: American Furniture from WinterthurThe loan exhibition from the 2002 Winter Antiques Show was from the Winterthur Museum, Garden & LIbrary in Winterthur, Delaware, which celebrated its 50th anniversary that year. Winterthur is known worldwide for its preeminent collection of more than 85,000 American antiques. The special loan exhibition featured masterpieces from Henry Francis du Pont's comprehensive collections. The exhibition showcased outstanding furniture from Winterthur's extensive collection, demonstrating du Pont's committment to establishing one of the most impressive assortments of ceramics, glass, textiles, silver, paintings and prints made or used in America from 1640 to 1860. During the week of the Show, Winterthur also presented the Henry Francis du Pont Award for Decorative Arts and Architecture which honors those who have contributed significantly to the understanding and enjoyment of America's heritage through collecting, studying, or promoting the American arts, particularly the decorative arts and historic architecture. For more information, visit Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library website at http://www.winterthur.org. 2001: "The Best Is Not Too Good For You"
Colonial Williamsburg Celebrates 75 Years of CollectingThe 2001 Winter Antiques Show honored the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation with a special exhibition. The display featured some of the finest pieces from the foundation's more than 60,000 objects, including furniture, paintings, folk art, sculpture, textiles and clothing accessories, prints and maps, ceramics, glassware, metalware, tools and instruments. Colonial Williamsburg, the nation’s oldest and largest outdoor living history museum, comprises the reconstructed 18th century capital of Virginia and also houses two world class museums: The DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum and the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum. The Wallace Museum, supported by the DeWitt Wallace Fund for Colonial Williamsburg, displays the foundation’s exceptional collection of British and American decorative arts. The Folk Art Museum, which houses the late Mrs. Rockefeller’s permanent collection of 484 objects and several changing exhibitions each year, is the first institution in the U.S. devoted exclusively to collection, exhibiting and researching American Folk Art. For more information, visit Colonial Williamsburg website at www.colonialwilliamsburg.org.
2000: Away off Shore: From the Collection of the Nantucket Historical Association1999: A Centennial Celebration: Collections from the New York State Historical Association 1998: Historic Deerfield: Collecting for a New England Village1997: Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum: Celebrating 100 Years1996: My Favorite Chair1995: Edgewater on the Hudson: Drawing Room Collection of Richard Hampton Jenrette
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