1950s George Nakashima Studio Full Size Dovetailed Walnut Headboard Bed Cabinet
About the Item
- Creator:George Nakashima (Manufacturer, Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 32 in (81.28 cm)Width: 12.5 in (31.75 cm)Depth: 54 in (137.16 cm)
- Style:Modern (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Philadelphia, PA
- Reference Number:
George Nakashima
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Lebanon, PA
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
- 1954 George Nakashima Studio Triple Sliding Door Cabinet / Credenza Black WalnutBy George NakashimaLocated in Philadelphia, PAListed for sale is a gorgeous 1954 George Nakashima Studio triple sliding door cabinet /credenza in American black walnut. This is an early piece, representing a number of refined ea...Category
Mid-20th Century American Modern Credenzas
MaterialsWalnut
- 1954 George Nelson for Herman Miller Walnut Twin Headboard 2x AvailableBy George Nelson, Herman MillerLocated in Philadelphia, PAThis is a single (two are available, though sold separately) Model 4695 George Nelson for Herman Miller twin headboard. The piece is forme...Category
Vintage 1950s American Modern Beds and Bed Frames
MaterialsSteel
- 1960s George Nakashima Studio American Walnut Settee / Loveseat in Green FabricBy George NakashimaLocated in Philadelphia, PAListed for sale is a settee, crafted by George Nakashima circa 1966. This is an iconic example of the slatted lounge series, which followed a design language through the forms of both long settees...Category
Vintage 1960s American Modern Loveseats
MaterialsWalnut
- 1960s Vintage Solid Black Walnut Mid Century Modern / Danish King Size HeadboardLocated in Philadelphia, PAListed for sale is a gorgeous solid black walnut headboard from a Manhattan estate. The headboard is beautifully constructed and king-size. Wher...Category
Vintage 1960s American Modern Beds and Bed Frames
MaterialsWalnut
- 1949 Set of Four George Nakashima for Knoll Associates N19 Chairs in WalnutBy Knoll, George NakashimaLocated in Philadelphia, PAThis is a set of four N19 Straight Chairs, designed by George Nakashima for Knoll Associates in 1946. These are early examples, dating to circa 1949. The ‘Straight Chair’ was Nakashi...Category
Vintage 1940s American Modern Dining Room Chairs
- 1950 George Nelson Herman Miller Basic Cabinet Series Two Door Cabinet in WalnutBy George Nelson, Herman MillerLocated in Philadelphia, PAListed for sale is a two-door cabinet designed by George Nelson and produced by Herman Miller circa 1950. This is a gorgeous original example, which appears remarkably intact. As not...Category
Vintage 1950s American Modern Cabinets
MaterialsBrass
- Walnut Nakashima Headboard by George Nakashima for George Nakashima StudioBy George Nakashima Studio, George NakashimaLocated in Sagaponack, NYA king sized solid walnut headboard. Superb craftsmanship and beautifully executed design.Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Beds and Bed Frames
MaterialsWalnut
- Magnificent George Nakashima Widdicomb Kingsize Headboard Bed Origins CollectionBy George NakashimaLocated in Pemberton, NJMagnificent George Nakashima for Widdicomb king size headboard, circa 1960s. The headboard features a dramatic, sweeping form that is regal and elegant. Surface is incredibly clean, ...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Beds and Bed Frames
MaterialsWalnut
- George Nakashima Origins Headboard by WiddicombBy George NakashimaLocated in San Francisco, CAGeorge 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
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Beds and Bed Frames
MaterialsElm
- Bed with Headboard, 1950sLocated in Montelabbate, PUSingle bed with integrated folding nightstand, 1950s. Two beds available (price per piece). Bed structure with multicolored foliage pattern, bedside table with monochrome landscape. ...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Beds and Bed Frames
MaterialsWood, Maple, Plywood, Paint
- Stunning Nakashima Style Walnut King-Size Headboard Mid-Century ModernBy George NakashimaLocated in Pemberton, NJSuper gorgeous Nakashima style walnut king-size headboard. This amazing piece is in very nice vintage condition. It measures 37" T x 107.5" L x 3" D . The legs have an extra wide pan...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Beds and Bed Frames
MaterialsWalnut
- Exciting Nakashima Style Walnut King-Size Headboard Mid-Century ModernBy George NakashimaLocated in Pemberton, NJSuper gorgeous Nakashima style walnut king-size headboard. This amazing piece is in fabulous vintage condition. It measures 40" T x 110" L x 2.5" D and the holes at the bottom where the frame...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Beds and Bed Frames
MaterialsWalnut