George Nakashima "New" Chairs, Set of Eight, Authenticated 1960s Production

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George Nakashima "New" Chairs, Set of Eight, Authenticated 1960s Production

About the Item

This is a remarkable set of eight (8) walnut and hickory "New" chairs by George Nakashima and authenticated by his daughter, Mira Nakashima. Excellent provenance and copies of original order cards from George Nakashima Woodworker, S.A. to be provided upon purchase of the chairs. Excellent single family owners that also purchased many other items from George throughout the 1960s and 1970s, all detailed below and to be provided upon sale. For those not familiar with Nakashima we can give a brief explanation of how to evaluate his work prior to making a purchase. Since his work was done in his studio by hand, it is not like buying Knoll or Herman Miller items where you can easily identify and authenticate through a label or engraving. While the process is a bit more involved, by verifying this information you are protecting yourself and assuring that you are acquiring a piece of masterful art that was built by George's own hands and provides you a better understanding of the item's history and provenance. And of course, all of this leads to stronger asset value and appreciation to your investment. First, to start, this set has been authenticated by Mira Nakashima and a copy of the authentication letter will be provided upon purchase of the set. The authentication letter states the name of the family who originally purchased this set along with the many other items that they had also purchased from Nakashima Studios throughout the decades. Secondly, Mira provided copies of the original order cards (receipts) that show the customers name and what was purchased (and includes all 8 chairs from this set). These will also be provided upon purchase. From the order cards, you can see that the client placed a large order in 1962 which included four of the chairs from this set along with a desk, cabinet, dining table and other items. Then in 1964, the customer ordered two more chairs. And finally, much later, in 1976 the customer ordered the final two chairs to complete this set of eight. All of this detail and more are listed on the order cards. And lastly, the customer's name is written underneath the seats of six of the eight chairs. This was a practice done in the earlier years and the more recent (1976) order of two chairs did not have the client's name written but is included in the authentication from Mira. Due to client privacy, we are not posting pictures of the written name underneath the chairs but we do verify that it matches the names on both the authentication letter from Mira and the original order cards. So, therefore, this is an exquisite "fully matching" set of eight (8) "New" chairs by famed master woodworker George Nakashima. One of Nakashima's most popular designs, these dining chairs feature a solid walnut saddle seat with nine hand-hewn hickory spindles through a walnut top rail with tenon joinery. These time-honored chairs are as desirable now as they were when first produced. Nakashima's work can be viewed in the collections of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian Institution, as well as being acquired by a number of celebrities, investors and collectors alike. This elegant set would be a great addition used together or individually around the home as part of a classic, contemporary or Mid-Century Modern dining room, living room, den, family room, office or bedroom. They would also be an apt choice in a corporate, retail or hospitality location such as a boutique hotel or executive office. Measurements: 36" H x 18.25" W x 19" D Seat height 17" Seat depth 15.25". Excellent vintage condition (original condition, has not been refinished). Warm patina to original finish with light normal wear as to be expected from age.

Creator:
George Nakashima (Workshop/Studio, Designer)
Dimensions:
Height: 36 in (91.44 cm)Width: 18.25 in (46.36 cm)Depth: 19 in (48.26 cm)Seat Height: 17 in (43.18 cm)
Sold As:
Set of 8
Style:
Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Hickory,Walnut
Place of Origin:
United States
Period:
1960-1969
Date of Manufacture:
1960
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Excellent vintage condition (original condition, has not been refinished). Warm patina to original finish with light normal wear as to be expected from age.
Seller Location:
Los Angeles, CA
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU1330210886623

Shop All George Nakashima

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.