The Shakers, perhaps more than any other religious movement, embraced purity of design and consummate craftsmanship in everything they created. These banners represent a sample of the typical and joyful Shaker palette. As you tour this National Historic Landmark, you will encounter vibrant colors on walls, in textiles and clothing and painted on furniture. Shaker Millennial Laws or guidelines prescribed selected color uses. These color recipes (pigment mixed with linseed oil) were well-documented and used consistently among the 19 Shaker communities that stretched from Maine to Florida.
Key to Shaker Color Use
Chrome Green coated bed frames and oval boxes.
Chrome Yellow brightened workshop building exteriors, interior architectural features, built-in furniture and oval boxes.
Red Ochre coated building exteriors, built-ins, furniture and oval boxes.
Orange or Salmon was created from combinations of red and yellow
pigments and decorated furniture, exteriors and woodenware.
Prussian Blue coated Meeting House interiors.
Yellow Ochre was most commonly found on floors
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