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George Nakashima Furniture

American, 1905-1990

A master woodworker and M.I.T.-trained architect, George Nakashima was the leading light of the American Studio furniture movement. Along with Wharton Esherick, Sam Maloof and Wendell Castle, Nakashima was an artisan who disdained industrial methods and materials in favor of a personal, craft-based approach to the design. What sets Nakashima apart is the poetic style of his work, his reverence for wood and the belief that his furniture could evince — as he put it in the title of his 1981 memoir — The Soul of a Tree.

Born in Spokane, Washington, to Japanese immigrants, Nakashima traveled widely after college, working and studying in Paris, Japan and India, and at every stop he absorbed both modernist and traditional design influences. The turning point in Nakashima’s career development came in the United States in 1942, when he was placed in an internment camp for Asian-Americans in Idaho. There, Nakashima met a master woodcarver who tutored him in Japanese crafting techniques. A former employer won Nakashima’s release and brought him to bucolic New Hope, Pennsylvania, where Nakashima set up a studio and worked for the rest of his life.

Nakashima’s singular aesthetic is best captured in his custom-made tables and benches — pieces that show off the grain, burls and whorls in a plank of wood. He left the “free edge,” or natural contour, of the slab un-planed, and reinforced fissures in the wood with “butterfly” joints. Almost all Nakashima seating pieces have smooth, milled edges. Nakashima also contracted with large-scale manufacturers to produce carefully supervised editions of his designs. Knoll has offered his Straight chair — a modern take on the spindle-backed Windsor chair — since 1946; the now-defunct firm Widdicomb-Mueller issued the Shaker-inspired Origins collection in the 1950s.

Nelson Rockefeller in 1973 gave Nakashima his single largest commission: a 200-piece suite for his suburban New York estate. Today, Nakashima furniture is collected by both the staid and the fashionable: his work sits in the collections of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian Institution, as well as in the homes of Steven Spielberg, Brad Pitt, Diane von Furstenberg and the late Steve Jobs.

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Period: 1950s
Creator: George Nakashima
George Nakashima 'New' Dining Chairs in Walnut and Hickory
By George Nakashima, George Nakashima Studio
Located in Waalwijk, NL
George Nakashima, ‘New’ dining chairs, American black walnut, hickory, United States, 1975 With regard to its essential form, material use, and woodwork, this ‘New’ dining chair is...
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage George Nakashima Furniture

Materials

Hickory, Walnut

George Nakashima Extendable Walnut Dining Table Model 277 for Widdicomb, 1959
By George Nakashima, Widdicomb Furniture Co.
Located in Camden, ME
An extendable walnut dining table by George Nakashima for Widdicomb Furniture Company from 1959. A line of bookmatched veneers encased by a 3 inch deep carved and finger joined solid...
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1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage George Nakashima Furniture

Materials

Walnut

George Nakashima for Widdicomb Sculpted Walnut Monumental Wall Mirror, 1950s
By George Nakashima, Widdicomb Furniture Co.
Located in South Bend, IN
A very rare and exceptional mid-century Organic Modern sculpted walnut framed monumental wall mirror By George Nakashima for Widdicomb Furniture, "Origins" Collection USA, Circa 19...
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1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage George Nakashima Furniture

Materials

Mirror, Walnut

George Nakashima Chairs for Widdicomb Origins set of Twelve Dining Chairs
By George Nakashima, Widdicomb Furniture Co.
Located in Chicago, IL
George Nakashima Chairs for Widdicomb Origins set of Twelve Dining Chairs, consist of Two Arm Chairs model (206-W) Arm and Ten Side Chairs (model 206-W Side) 1959 Widdicomb-Mueller C...
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1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage George Nakashima Furniture

Materials

Upholstery, Walnut

George Nakashima Studio Grass Seated Chair
By George Nakashima, George Nakashima Studio
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Grass-seated chair from circa 1950s production in black walnut by George Nakashima for Nakashima Studios with original seagrass seat. Two chairs available; priced individually. Meas...
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1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage George Nakashima Furniture

Materials

Walnut, Seagrass

George Nakashima black american walnut chest of drawers 1955
By George Nakashima
Located in Paris, IDF
This dresser crafted from American black walnut is a stunning testament to George Nakashima's craftsmanship. Created upon the request of a private client in 1955, the angular shapes ...
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1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage George Nakashima Furniture

Materials

Walnut

George Nakashima Model 206 Side Chair for Widdicomb
By George Nakashima
Located in Dallas, TX
A rare model 206 dining / desk side chair designed by George Nakashima for Widdicomb. A matching set of four available separately.
Category

1950s Vintage George Nakashima Furniture

Materials

Walnut

Set of Four George Nakashima Model 206 Dining Chairs for Widdicomb
By George Nakashima
Located in Dallas, TX
A rare set of four model 206 dining chairs designed by George Nakashima for Widdicomb. A matching fifth chair available separately.
Category

1950s Vintage George Nakashima Furniture

Materials

Fabric

George Nakashima Dining Set with Trestle Dining Table and 'New' Chairs
By George Nakashima, George Nakashima Studio
Located in Waalwijk, NL
George Nakashima, boat-shaped trestle dining table, walnut, United States, 1959 This exquisite and exceptionally large dining table was designed by George Nakashima and created in h...
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage George Nakashima Furniture

Materials

Walnut

George Nakashima Triangular Cherry Table
By George Nakashima
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
George Nakashima Cherry Wepman Table Large form with legs posting through the top Expressive Free edge
Category

1950s American Vintage George Nakashima Furniture

Materials

Cherry

George Nakashima New Chair
By George Nakashima
Located in Miami, FL
Rare and early model 271 or New Chair, the iconic Windsor spindle back chair reimagined by Japanese-American Master Woodworker, George Nakashima in 1956. East Indian Laurel wood in t...
Category

1950s American American Craftsman Vintage George Nakashima Furniture

Materials

Hickory, Walnut

"New" Dining Chairs by George Nakashima, United States, 1950s
By George Nakashima
Located in Antwerp, BE
"New" dining chairs by George Nakashima - a modern take on the traditional English Windsor chair. Made with hickory spindles in the backrest and carefully carved seats, these chairs ...
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage George Nakashima Furniture

Materials

Wood

1950s George Nakashima Studio Full Size Dovetailed Walnut Headboard Bed Cabinet
By George Nakashima
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Listed for sale is a very special 1950s George Nakashima headboard, produced at the Nakashima Woodworking studio in New Hope, Pennsylvania. ...
Category

1950s American Modern Vintage George Nakashima Furniture

Materials

Wood

George Nakashima Free Edge Slab Coffee Table in Walnut
By George Nakashima
Located in Waalwijk, NL
George Nakashima, free edge slab coffee table, walnut, United States, 1958 American woodworker and designer George Nakashima proves with this quintessential table that he is a true ...
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage George Nakashima Furniture

Materials

Walnut

George Nakashima New Chair
By George Nakashima
Located in Miami, FL
Rare and early model 271 or New Chair, the iconic Windsor spindle back chair reimagined by Japanese-American Master Woodworker, George Nakashima in 1956. East Indian Laurel wood in t...
Category

1950s American American Craftsman Vintage George Nakashima Furniture

Materials

Hickory, Walnut

George Nakashima Boat-Shaped Trestle Dining Table in Walnut
By George Nakashima, George Nakashima Studio
Located in Waalwijk, NL
George Nakashima, boat-shaped trestle dining table, walnut, United States, 1959 This exquisite and exceptionally large dining table was designed by George Nakashima and created in h...
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage George Nakashima Furniture

Materials

Walnut

George Nakashima Early Set of 8 Walnut "Captain" Chairs, 1959
By George Nakashima
Located in Coronado, CA
It doesn't get much better than this--an early set of original and authentic George Nakashima "Captain" chairs hand-built by George in ...
Category

1950s American Anglo-Japanese Vintage George Nakashima Furniture

Materials

Walnut

George Nakashima, Slab Coffee Table, 1950s
By George Nakashima
Located in New York, NY
Early English and black American walnut coffee table by studio artist George Nakashima, ca 1950s, New Hope, PA. Expressive burl live edge and highly figural grain throughout. Orig...
Category

1950s American American Craftsman Vintage George Nakashima Furniture

Materials

Walnut

Pair of George Nakashima New Chairs
By George Nakashima
Located in Miami, FL
A pair of rare and early model 271 or New Chairs, the iconic Windsor spindle back chairs reimagined by Japanese-American Master Woodworker, George Nakashima in 1956. East Indian Laurel wood...
Category

1950s American American Craftsman Vintage George Nakashima Furniture

Materials

Hickory, Walnut

Hanging Cabinet by George Nakashima
By George Nakashima
Located in San Francisco, CA
This rare and unique walnut hanging cabinet by George Nakashima is a beautiful and functional piece of modern furniture with sliding doors. The cabinet features an overhang top with one free edge above two doors that conceal one adjustable shelf. Crafted from high-quality American black walnut wood, this cabinet has been fully restored at the Nakashima workshop...
Category

1950s American Modern Vintage George Nakashima Furniture

Materials

Walnut

Hanging Cabinet by George Nakashima
By George Nakashima
Located in San Francisco, CA
This rare and unique walnut hanging cabinet by George Nakashima is a beautiful and functional piece of modern furniture with sliding doors. The cabinet features an overhang top with one free edge above two doors that conceal one adjustable shelf. Crafted from high-quality American black walnut wood, this cabinet has been fully restored at the Nakashima workshop...
Category

1950s American Modern Vintage George Nakashima Furniture

Materials

Walnut

King or Queen Headboard by George Nakashima for Widdicomb, Beautiful Condition
By George Nakashima, Widdicomb Furniture Co.
Located in Kansas City, MO
Headboard for a king or queen sized bed designed by George Nakashima for his Origin series with Sundra finish (meaning thing of beauty) made by Widdicomb, 1950s. Constructed of East...
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage George Nakashima Furniture

Materials

Wood

George Nakashima Model 206 Dining Chair for Widdicomb
By Widdicomb Furniture Co., George Nakashima
Located in Hanover, MA
George Nakashima designed Model 206 chair for the Origins Collection for Widdicomb. Original condition, without any restorations or refinishing. Joints and dowels tight. Original u...
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage George Nakashima Furniture

Materials

Walnut

Coffee Table by George Nakashima for his Origins Series for Widdicomb
By George Nakashima, Widdicomb Furniture Co.
Located in Kansas City, MO
Rectangular coffee table model 217 designed by George Nakashima for his origin / origins series for Widdicomb, 1950s, in Sundra (meaning thing of beauty) finish. Beautifully figured...
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage George Nakashima Furniture

Materials

Brass

George Nakashima for Widdicomb Dresser
By George Nakashima
Located in Dallas, TX
A large George Nakashima for Widdicomb dresser with beautifully grained East Indian Laurel and brass pulls.
Category

1950s Vintage George Nakashima Furniture

Materials

Walnut

George Nakashima Origins Headboard by Widdicomb
By George Nakashima
Located in San Francisco, CA
George Nakashima design headboard for a king or queen sized bed for his Origins series by Widdicomb, 1959. Constructed of East Indian Laurel wood in the original Sundra finish, clean...
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage George Nakashima Furniture

Materials

Elm

George Nakashima Origins Dresser for Widdicomb
By George Nakashima
Located in San Francisco, CA
George Nakashima design dresser for his Origins line by Widdicomb, 1959. Dramatic wood grain figuring throughout the body of the case and trapezoidal shape top extending to 105"in. w...
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage George Nakashima Furniture

Materials

Brass

Rare Early Pair of George Nakashima "New Chairs"
By George Nakashima
Located in Hopewell, NJ
An iconic pair of early circa 1952 George Nakashima "New Chairs" masterfully constructed out of walnut. Letter of authenticity included.
Category

1950s American American Craftsman Vintage George Nakashima Furniture

Materials

Walnut

Early Set of Six Mira Chairs by George Nakashima
By George Nakashima
Located in Atlanta, GA
An exceptional set of six Mira chairs custom made by George Nakashima in his New Hope Studio, circa 1959. Early work that was commissioned by using cherry wood. The Mira chair was na...
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage George Nakashima Furniture

Materials

Cherry

1950s George Nakashima English Walnut Shark Tooth Live Free Edge Table Wepman
By George Nakashima
Located in Hyattsville, MD
Original unmolested finish. George Nakashima walnut studio table, accompanied by authentication paperwork from the Nakashima Foundation.
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage George Nakashima Furniture

Materials

Walnut

George Nakashima Coffee Table Origins Model 272 Widdicomb, 1959
By George Nakashima, Widdicomb Furniture Co.
Located in Camden, ME
George Nakashima lift-top coffee table model 272 manufactured by Widdicomb in 1959 from his origins line. The underside of the drawer is stenciled Sundra model 272 dated 3/59. Widdic...
Category

1950s American Vintage George Nakashima Furniture

Materials

Brass

George Nakashima "Origins" Tall Chest for Widdicomb
By George Nakashima
Located in San Francisco, CA
George Nakashima design tall chest or dresser for his "Origins" line produced 1959-1961 by Widdicomb. Rare model offering seven smooth operating drawers, the top two with dividers fo...
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage George Nakashima Furniture

Materials

Oak, Walnut

George Nakashima furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

George Nakashima furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of George Nakashima furniture, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 136 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 16 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original furniture by George Nakashima were created in the mid-century modern style in north america during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Frank Lloyd Wright, Warren Platner, and Selig. Prices for George Nakashima furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $295 and can go as high as $184,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $25,500.
Questions About George Nakashima Furniture
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    George Nakashima is perhaps best known for developing the butterfly joint. This construction method involves connecting pieces with a third piece of wood shaped like a butterfly. The joint forms a strong, sturdy connection and stabilizes pieces to fight the effects of wood expansion. On 1stDibs, shop a range of George Nakashima furniture.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    No, George Nakashima didn’t usually sign the majority of his works. Instead, he normally added the name of the client to the timber selected to start the project. The writing usually appears in simple black marker. ​​On 1stDibs, find a variety of George Nakashima furniture.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    To identify George Nakashima furniture, start by looking for the name of the original client written in black marker. He usually wrote the name on the underside of a piece of furniture. Order cards and shop drawings can also help authenticate his work. On 1stDibs, find a selection of expertly vetted George Nakashima furniture.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    To address wood expansion, George Nakashima pioneered the butterfly joint. This technique uses a butterfly-shaped piece of wood as an anchor. When wood expands, the butterfly joint prevents the pieces from splitting apart. Butterfly joints are strong and increase the overall durability of his wood furniture. On 1stDibs, find a collection of George Nakashima.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Which chair is best for a George Nakashima Origins for Widdicomb desk is largely a matter of preference. George Nakashima chairs with Shaker-inspired spindle backs like the Mira and Conoid tend to complement the lines of the desks in the collection. However, you can mix and match styles to create an eclectic look. On 1stDibs, shop a collection of George Nakashima desks and chairs.

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