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George Nakashima

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.

Average Sold Price
$9,759
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Materials
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Iconic Designs from George Nakashima
Explore timeless pieces that have earned their place in history.
George Nakashima Mira Chair
George Nakashima Mira Chair
George Nakashima Straight Chair
George Nakashima Straight Chair
George Nakashima New Chair
George Nakashima New Chair
George Nakashima Conoid Chair
George Nakashima Conoid Chair
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...
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1950s American American Craftsman Vintage George Nakashima

Materials

Walnut

Set of Four George Nakashima "Straight Chair" Dining Chairs for Knoll Model N19
By George Nakashima
Located in Bedford Hills, NY
Designed by master craftsman George Nakashima for Knoll in 1946, the N19 chair was intended as a mass-produced counterpoint to the Nakashima Studio’s popular “Straight Chair.” The de...
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Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern George Nakashima

Materials

Walnut

George Nakashima Sundra Coffee Table for Widdicomb Model 200-66W, c1960s
By George Nakashima, Widdicomb Furniture Co.
Located in Chino Hills, CA
Experience the epitome of mid-century modern sophistication with this remarkable George Nakashima "Sundra" Coffee Table for Widdicomb, a true treasure from the 1960s. This exceptiona...
Category

1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage George Nakashima

Materials

Burl, Rosewood

George Nakashima, Kornblut Cabinet in American Black Walnut, 1972, New Hope USA
By George Nakashima Studio, George Nakashima
Located in Wargrave, Berkshire
George Nakashima (1905-1990), Kornblut Cabinet in American Black Walnut, made at the Nakashima Studio in New Hope, Pennsylvania, USA in 1972. This ra...
Category

1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage George Nakashima

Materials

Walnut, Burl

George Nakashima Spindleback Lounge Chair with Ottoman in Walnut
By George Nakashima, George Nakashima Studio
Located in Waalwijk, NL
George Nakashima for George Nakashima Studio, spindleback easy chair with ottoman, American Black Walnut, United States, 1962 This quintessential spindle back armchair is designed...
Category

1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage George Nakashima

Materials

Fabric, Walnut

George Nakashima, American Black Walnut & Hickory Spindle Bench, 1972
By George Nakashima, George Nakashima Woodworkers
Located in Wargrave, Berkshire
George Nakashima bench, created 1972, carved from a single slab of American black walnut with freeform front edge, and with turned hickory spin...
Category

1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage George Nakashima

Materials

Hickory, Walnut

George Nakashima Free Edge 'Slab' Coffee Table in Walnut
By George Nakashima, George Nakashima Studio
Located in Waalwijk, NL
George Nakashima, 'Slab' coffee table, American black walnut, United States, 1960s American woodworker and designer George Nakashima proves with this quintessential table that he is...
Category

1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage George Nakashima

Materials

Walnut

1940s Straight Chair by George Nakashima
By George Nakashima, Knoll
Located in Buffalo, NY
Nice early production, Straight chair designed by George Nakashima for Knoll,, Nine spindles and a shaped seat on four splayed ,tapered dowel leg. Wonderful example. nice original f...
Category

1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage George Nakashima

Materials

Hickory

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Creators Similar to George Nakashima

More George Nakashima Designs
George Nakashima Mira Chair
George Nakashima Mira Chair
Average Price
$19,492
Number Available
3
George Nakashima Mira Chair
By George Nakashima
Materials
Wood, Walnut, Cherry, Hardwood
Styles
Mid Century Modern
A cursory look at the Mira chair by George Nakashima (1905–90) reveals a simple wood form that might be perfectly at home in a 17th-century-era Shaker community in the United States, mid-century Scandinavia or even ancient Japan. That’s not much of a surprise — the American designer traveled widely and drew on varying traditions in his work. Nakashima was born to Japanese immigrants in Washington state, studied architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, then worked in Paris, J...
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George Nakashima Straight Chair
George Nakashima Straight Chair
Average Price
$4,533
Number Available
3
George Nakashima Straight Chair
By George Nakashima
Materials
Wood, Hardwood, Hickory, Walnut
Styles
Mid Century Modern
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George Nakashima New Chair
George Nakashima New Chair
Average Price
$9,725
Number Available
2
George Nakashima New Chair
By George Nakashima
Materials
Walnut, Wood, Hardwood, Hickory
Styles
American Craftsman, Mid Century Modern
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George Nakashima Conoid Chair
George Nakashima Conoid Chair
Average Price
$49,000
Number Available
2
George Nakashima Conoid Chair
By George Nakashima
Materials
Walnut, Wood
George Nakashima (1905–90) famously said, “Furniture should be lived with and not treated as something overly precious,” so it’s not surprising that his Conoid chair was made to be dragged across carpeting.  First built in 1971, the Conoid chair is one of Nakashima’s most celebrated and recognizable designs. It features a slab of black walnut cantilevered over two legs, with distinctive feet that resemble old-fashioned sled runners. Born in Spokane, Washington, Nakashima led a singular life d...
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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. Many of the original furniture by George Nakashima were created in the mid-century modern style in united states during the 21st century and contemporary. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Frank Lloyd Wright, Warren Platner, and Kipp Stewart. Prices for George Nakashima furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at £7,499 and can go as high as £64,463, while a piece like these, on average, fetch £28,154.
Questions About George Nakashima
  • 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
    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
    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 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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