Brent Rourke (Canadian)
Shaker Boxes, Nested set of 5
wood and copper
3 7/8” long x 2 ¼ wide x 1 ¼” high
4 7/8” long x 2 7/8” wide x 1 ¾” high
6” long x 4” x 2 3/8” wide x 2 ¼” high
7 3/8” long x 5” wide x 2 7/8” high
9 5/8” long x 5 7/8” wide x 3 3/8” high
Description: Set of traditional nesting shaker oval boxes by master craftsman Brent Rourke. “They are made the same way as the Shakers did for over 150 years with copper tacks and small wooden dowels.” One of Rourke’s shaker boxes was used to house a rock from St. Croix Island as a gift to Queen Elizabeth II in 2004.
“Handcrafted by / Brent Rourke Cabinetmaker / Hampton, N.B. Canada // This is a handmade reproduction of a Shaker Oval Box. Dating from around 1798, these boxes were produced for over 150 years. Made the same today as then, with copper tracks and tiny dowels. These boxes are prized today for the patience and skill required to make them.”
Markings: signed on base of each box; original tag is also inside each box
Condition: Vintage, Excellent
For Accuracy: insignificant wear, as expected on any vintage item. These are clean and basically like new. See photographs.
Reference: “Brent Rourke. Handmade reproductions of Shaker Oval Boxes and Carriers. Dating from around 1798, Boxes and Carriers were produced for over 150 years. They were economical to build and they stored easily as you could nest a whole set in the space of the largest box. / Although Shaker Boxes and Carriers are mainly decorative today, they were originally a working box. The shakers used them for storing kitchen ingredients to shop supplies. / Made the same today as then with tiny dowels and copper tacks that are produced on machinery over a century old. / Shaker Boxes and Carriers have made their mark and done their part in history and are prized today for the patience and skill required to make them.” ~ Brent Rourke
