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 of chairs, coffee tables and other pieces. 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. (Master craftsperson Mira Nakashima keeps her father’s legacy alive at the George Nakashima Studio in New Hope today. She has been the artistic director of George Nakashima Woodworkers since her father's death, in 1990.)
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, the result of a merger between Widdicomb and Mueller Furniture, 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.
Find vintage George Nakashima furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
George Nakashima English Walnut Free-Edge Room Divider on Granite Base, 1955
By George Nakashima Studio, George Nakashima
Located in Chicago, IL
George Nakashima English Walnut Free-Edge Room Divider on Granite Base, 1955 Rare and unique English walnut room divider / sculptural slab, designed for the collection of Robert and ...
Granite
Exceptional and Rare Frame signed George Nakashima, 1960
By George Nakashima
Located in PARIS, FR
Very Beautiful and Rare Frame signed George Nakashima, 1960 With its original glass. With drawing by Alfred Reth (not for sale) Width 60 cm Height 90 cm
Walnut
Gucci Horsebit Picture Frame, Brass, Nickel, Signed
By Gucci
Located in New York, NY
Gucci Horsebit picture frame, brass, nickel, signed. Stirrup form photo frame finished in brass and nickel. The display opening is 5.63 inches in height by 5.75 inches wide. The four...
Brass, Nickel
Anodized Aluminium Sculptural Room Divider / Sculpture
By Commute Design Studio
Located in toronto, CA
Modular sculptural divider, use one or link them together to create a beautiful installation. The sculpture itself has slight movement to create bea...
Aluminum, Cut Steel
Horse Sculpture In Antique Bronze Finish On Granite Base
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Horse Sculpture In Antique Bronze Finish On Granite Base The horse sculpture is a premium decorative item crafted from high-quality aluminium and finished in a sophisticated antique...
Granite, Bronze
Brazilian Organic Modern Abstract Sculpture on Granite Base, 1980s
Located in Miami, FL
Organic Brazilan modern patinated bronze abstract sculpture on granite base. Unsigned circa 1980s.
Granite, Bronze
$2,647Sale Price|20% Off
H 11.97 in W 10.63 in D 4.73 in
Abstract bronze sculpture on granite base with organic, geometric form
By Max Bill
Located in Bad Säckingen, DE
This abstract bronze sculpture is a captivating exploration of form and space, combining organic curves with geometric precision. The composition features a dynamic, asymmetrical sha...
Granite, Stone, Bronze
$5,136
H 5.12 in W 7.09 in D 3.35 in
Max Ingrand brass and glass picture frame for Fontana Arte, Italy 1960s
By Fontana Arte, Max Ingrand
Located in Milan, IT
Max Ingrand Picture Frame for Fontana Arte, Model 1371. Italy 1960s
Brass
$4,800
H 10 in W 21 in D 8 in
American Bronze Oval Elephant Herd Sculpture on Molded Edge Base , 20th Cent
Located in Charleston, SC
American bronze oval elephant herd sculpture resting on a molded edge base, 20th Century.
Bronze
ABSTRACT Metal Sculpture on WALNUT BASE
Located in Hawthorne, CA
Mid-Century Abstract Metal Sculpture on Wood Base – Artist Unknown A compelling expression of form and texture, this intricately crafted tab...
Metal
Silver Plated Photo Frame, USA 1960's
Located in New York, NY
Elegant and finely tooled silver photo frame, stamped “silver” 11.5x9
Silver Plate
$75,300
H 15 in W 8.5 in D 3 in
Placido Zuloaga, an Extremely Rare Spanish Gold and Silver Damascened Frame
By Plácido Zuloaga 1
Located in Long Island City, NY, NY
Placido Zuloaga, An extremely rare Spanish gold and silver damascened window frame, in the Alhambra / Islamic taste, circa 1880. The interior is lined and fitted with an orientalist artwork throughout. Signed PZ on the reverse. Placido Zuloaga was a renowned Spanish metalworker and damascene artist known for his exceptional skills in working with gold and silver and for creating intricate and ornate designs on metal surfaces using a technique called damascening. One of Zuloaga's works is this rare gold and silver damascened frame that he created in the late 19th century. The frame is decorated with intricate designs in silver and gold, creating a stunning contrast that is characteristic of Zuloaga's work. The frame is a remarkable example of Zuloaga's artistry and skill, as well as his mastery of the damascening technique. The technique involves inlaying silver or gold wire into the surface of the metal, creating intricate and detailed designs that are both beautiful and durable. Zuloaga's work was highly sought after during his lifetime and is still highly valued today. His pieces are considered to be some of the finest examples of damascene artistry in the world, and his legacy continues to inspire and influence metalworkers and artists today. His works are in private collections and in museums worldwide. Comparative Literature: James D. Lavin, The Art and Tradition of the Zuloagas, Spanish Damascene...
Steel, Iron
$2,666
H 22.05 in W 9.85 in D 3.15 in
Abstract Aerodynamic Bronze Sculpture on Granite Base, Dutch, 1977
Located in London, GB
Abstract aerodynamic cast bronze sculpture is in take-off perched on a tower shaped granite rock, as a bird that must generate enough airflow across the s...
Travertine, Bronze
Midcentury Decorative Murano Flowers Frame, Italy, 1960s
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
A beautiful decorative frame with flowers from Italy. The frame is made of glass and plastic. it can be also a mirror. The frame is in good vintage condition. Few yellow flowers is m...
Metal
Fontana Arte Glass and Brass Picture Frame, Italy, 1960s
By Fontana Arte
Located in Los Angeles, CA
An exquisite picture frame by Fontana Arte, crafted in Italy during the 1960s. This sculptural piece combines thick, curved glass with refined brass accents, creating a luxurious yet...
Art Glass
Bronze elephant by Theodore Alexander on rococo style rose granite base
By Theodore Alexander
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Rare bronze elephant by Theodore Alexander. modeled with expressive anatomical detail and a dynamic raised trunk. The sculpture displays finely rendered surface texturing across the ...
Granite, Bronze
$513
H 9.06 in W 7.88 in D 0.79 in
1960s Mid-Century Modern Brass and Smoked Glass Luxury Italian Picture Frame
By Tommaso Barbi
Located in Aci Castello, IT
This sophisticated Italian picture frame is a prime example of 1970s luxury design, blending the structural elegance of the Mid-Century Modern movement with the bold materiality of t...
Brass
Sold
H 2 in W 8 in D 4.25 in
Pair of Mid-Century Modern Mira Nakashima Candleholders from Nakashima Studio
By Mira Nakashima, George Nakashima
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A beautiful set of Nakashima studio candleholders made by Mira Nakashima. Hand signed and dated from 2013. Price includes the pair as shown.
Wood
Nakashima Black Walnut Signed Pencil Holder Mid-century Danish Modern
By George Nakashima
Located in Pemberton, NJ
AMAZING SIGNED GEORGE NAKASHIMA SOLID BLACK WALNUT PENCIL HOLDER. THIS PIECE WAS GIVEN BY GEORGE TO HIS CLOSE FRIENDS DAUGHTER AS A WEDDING GIFT. SIGNED AND DATED ON THE BOTTOM-I A...