May 20, 2004
another shaker tree
I've been doing a little more research into Shaker tree designs. There's one particular drawing that is apparently the Ur-shaker-tree, called the Tree of Life:
It was drawn in 1854 by Hannah Cohoon. You can't make out the writing underneath the drawing, but it says in part: "I received a draft of a beautiful Tree pencil’d on a sheet of white paper bearing ripe fruit ... I have since learned that this tree grows in the Spirit Land... I entreated Mother Ann to tell me the name of this tree: which she did by moving the hand of a medium to write twice over, Your Tree is the Tree of Life."
The Tree of Life has since become the symbol of Shaker unity.
Posted by seth at May 20, 2004 12:58 PMSeth,
I just brought this same image to post. This is THE tree, isn't it? I have other images about this kind of arrangement and imagery on another disk that I will post tomorrow.
Posted by: ct at May 21, 2004 05:41 PM