Extremely Rare 1932 Isamu Noguchi “Measured Time” Clock

Name: Extremely Rare 1932 Isamu Noguchi “Measured Time” Clock
Brand: Isamu Noguchi
Rating: 5 (2 reviews)

About the Item

We are very pleased to present this *genuinely rare* Isamu Noguchi Measured Time Clock and Kitchen Timer. This clock marks Noguchi's first industrial design for commercial manufacture. Designed in 1932, the “Measured Time” clock and kitchen timer predates his more famous commercial "Radio Nurse" baby monitor designed in 1936. Tested and working. Very good condition. Two models of this clock were produced: a limited run of white Bakelite clocks was followed by a more substantial run of black Bakelite replicas. The one presented here is from the initial production. The white version of this clock has rarely come to market. In the few times it has come to market, it was chipped or damaged. A similar example in good condition sold for $24,000 at Wright in 2015. Condition: Very good vintage condition. Losses to the original cord's mesh cover. Plug works. Signed with metal manufacturer's label to reverse. Manufactured by Measured Time Inc. La Porte, Indiana.

Creator:
Isamu Noguchi (Designer)
Dimensions:
Height: 6 in (15.24 cm)Width: 5.25 in (13.34 cm)Depth: 3.25 in (8.26 cm)
Style:
Modern (In the Style Of)
Materials and Techniques:
Bakelite
Place of Origin:
United States
Period:
Early 20th Century
Date of Manufacture:
1932
Condition:
Minor losses. No cracks. Minor discoloration. Minor fogging on the glass.
Seller Location:
Philadelphia, PA
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU7058235452502

Shop All Isamu Noguchi

Isamu Noguchi

A sculptor, painter, ceramicist and furniture and lighting designer, Isamu Noguchi was one of the most prolific and protean creative forces of the 20th century and a key figure in the development of organic modernism. Noguchi’s sculptures and designs — his chairs and tables as well as his timeless Akari lamp and other lighting fixtures — share a common spirit: one of lyrical abstraction, tempo and flow and harmonious balance.

Noguchi was born in Los Angeles to an American mother and Japanese father, and spent most of his childhood in Japan. He returned to the United States at age 13, went to high school in Indiana and enrolled at Columbia University to study medicine. At the same time, he took night courses in sculpture.

Within three months, Noguchi left college to pursue art full time. Noguchi was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1927 and traveled to Paris to work under Constantin Brancusi. It marked a turning point. Inspired by Brancusi, Noguchi embraced abstraction and began to sculpt in the expressive, rhythmic style that would be the hallmark of his work.

Once back in New York, Noguchi was introduced to design by what would become a lifelong collaboration creating sets for choreographer Martha Graham. His first industrial designs were in Bakelite: the sleek Measured Time kitchen timer created circa 1932, and his famed Zenith Radio Nurse intercom, from 1937.

Ten years later, Herman Miller introduced Noguchi’s now-iconic glass-topped coffee table with an articulated wooden base. His washi paper and bamboo Akari light sculptures, handmade in Japan, debuted in 1951. In the late 1950s, Noguchi designed for Knoll, creating such pieces as his dynamic Cyclone table and rocking stool.

For collectors, Noguchi’s furniture and lighting designs remain his most accessible work — they have the same power and presence that Noguchi brought to his art.

Find vintage Isamu Noguchi floor lamps, table lamps, coffee tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.