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George Nakashima Tables

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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Creator: George Nakashima
George Nakashima Table
By George Nakashima
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Spectacular "Q" Table/Bench Created in 1964 by George Nakashima, Expressive Free edge Walnut and very long table for Nakashima Table Signed with a Roman Numeral iii on the underside...
Category

1960s American Vintage George Nakashima Tables

Materials

Walnut

George Nakashima Studio Coffee Table
By George Nakashima, George Nakashima Studio
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Coffee table from American mid-century craftsman George Nakashima. The table crafted of black walnut, c.1969 features a live edge table top geometric slab base with one tapered leg. ...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern George Nakashima Tables

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 Tables

Materials

Cherry

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 Tables

Materials

Walnut

George Nakashima Studio Black Walnut Dining Table
By George Nakashima, George Nakashima Studio
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Dining table from American midcentury craftsman George Nakashima. The black walnut table features four splayed tapered dowel legs which support a large round table top. The table top showcases...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern George Nakashima Tables

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 Tables

Materials

Brass

George Nakashima Splay Leg Table Manufactured by Knoll
By George Nakashima
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
The N-10 table was originally sold by Knoll in the 1940s and discontinued in 1955. This example is from the re-introduction in 2008.
Category

Early 2000s American George Nakashima Tables

Materials

Walnut

George Nakashima Wepman Table
By George Nakashima
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An oversized example of this design Re-Oiled Surface.
Category

1960s American Vintage George Nakashima Tables

Materials

Wood

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George Nakashima tables for sale on 1stDibs.

George Nakashima tables 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 tables, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original tables by George Nakashima were created in the mid-century modern style in united states during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider tables by Philip and Kelvin LaVerne, Paul Frankl, and Charles and Ray Eames. Prices for George Nakashima tables can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $1,950 and can go as high as $66,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $13,175.
Questions About George Nakashima Tables
  • 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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