An assortment of Shaker miniatures from the exhibition.

Fascination with miniaturizing familiar objects has always been part of being human. The Shaker Museum at Mount Lebanon is presenting a new exhibition opening July 19 and running until  September 7 that captures this fascination.  “The Small World of Shaker: Miniature Furniture, Books & Dolls,” displays Shaker-made miniature objects alongside works by contemporary miniature artists inspired by the Shakers. It goes on view in the historic 1870 Poultry House.

Here, the museum has assembled examples of dolls, dollhouse furnishings and miniature books that have a relationship to the Shakers. In the crafting of all three types of materials, the Shakers actively participated through the making and selling of dolls, printing and reading miniature books and helping to furnish a dollhouse for the museum’s educational use in the 1950s. In addition to Shaker works from the museum’s collection, several artists inspired by the Shakers are featured in the exhibit. http://www.shakerml.org/