Bookmark cross-stitched on needlepoint mesh made of perforated paper, with red border and blue text adapted from 1 Corinthians 13:7, "It [love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." Provenance: Likely Catherine Hall (Harvard Commune, 1813-1890, contained in a manuscript Shaker notebook ca. 1880); Raymond Adams (1898-1987, noted Thoreau scholar and collector, founder of the Thoreau Society); by descent. 5.25 x 1.2 inches. In fine condition. 

Similar cross-stitch bookmark examples are in the Allen-Mathews collection at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, KY, whose curator Aaron Genton notes that "These bookmarks were popular in the nineteenth century, especially during the Victorian era. This appears to be another way that the Shakers adopted practices that were also popular in the outside world. They were ways to produce mottos, sentiments, messages and feelings, and were often given as gifts."  Rare. The eight needlepoint bookmarks at Pleasant Hill were all sourced from the same 1963 auction of items that all had a history related to the West Family Dwelling and the last Shakers that lived there. We have not been able to trace any other records since then with direct Shaker provenance such as the present example. 

The United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, known more widely as the Shakers, are a Christian sect founded in England during the mid-1700s.  The name "Shaker" comes from "Shaking Quakers," an insult coined to mock the way Shakers use their bodies during worship, whether shaking, shouting, dancing, whirling, or speaking in tongues.  The movement peaked in the 19th century, with 18 major communities as well as numerous smaller ones throughout the United States. Towards the end of the 19th century, the movement tapered out, as members died off and new converts slowed.  Shakers practice celibacy, which undoubtedly did not help matters.  Only one active Shaker community still exists in the United States, Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village in Maine.  As of 2021, the village had three members.