George Nakashima Walnut Bookcase Shelving, Free Edge, 1960s
View Similar Items
George Nakashima Walnut Bookcase Shelving, Free Edge, 1960s
About the Item
- Creator:George Nakashima (Designer),George Nakashima Studio (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 46 in (116.84 cm)Width: 26 in (66.04 cm)Depth: 13 in (33.02 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor fading. Good vintage condition. All original. Some expected light wear: scuffs and scratches. some water stains to shelves.
- Seller Location:Brooklyn, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU4190324885772
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.
- Branco E Preto Jacaranda Bookcase Cabinet, Luiz Pássaro, Brazil, 1950sBy Luiz Pássaro, Branco & PretoLocated in Brooklyn, NYBranco and Preto Jacaranda bookcase with cabinet, Brazilian Modern, 1960s. Brazilian mid-century modern bookcase in lacquered jacaranda wood and produced by furniture manufacturer Branco and Preto, with double cabinet doors and two inset raised drawers. Designed in a rational and geometric way, Branco and Preto designs have an open, elegant and preternaturally fresh appearance. 92" H x 40" W x 13.75" D. Labelled under bottom cabinet as made by Luiz Pássaro...Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsJacaranda
- Branco e Preto Jacaranda Bookcase with Drawers, Luiz Pássaro, Brazil, 1950sBy Luiz Pássaro, Branco & PretoLocated in Brooklyn, NYBranco and Preto Jacaranda Bookcase with inset drawers, Brazilian Modern, 1960s. Brazilian mid-century modern bookcase in lacquered jacaranda wood and produced by furniture manufacturer Branco and Preto, with double cabinet doors and two inset raised drawers. Designed in a rational and geometric way, Branco and Preto designs have an open, elegant and preternaturally fresh appearance. 92" H x 40" W x 13.75" D. Made by Luiz Pássaro...Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsJacaranda, Mahogany
- Branco e Preto Jacaranda Bookcase Pair with Drawers, Luiz Pássaro, Brazil, 1950sBy Luiz Pássaro, Branco & PretoLocated in Brooklyn, NYBranco and Preto Jacaranda Bookcase with inset drawers, Brazilian Modern, 1960s. Brazilian mid-century modern bookcase in lacquered jacaranda wood and produced by furniture manufacturer Branco and Preto, with double cabinet doors and two inset raised drawers. Designed in a rational and geometric way, Branco and Preto designs have an open, elegant and preternaturally fresh appearance. Labelled. 92" H x 40" W x 13.75" D. About Branco e Preto...Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsJacaranda
$14,100 Sale Price / set50% Off - French Mid-century Birdcage Étagère Hanging Shelf, Brass, Steel, Aged IronLocated in Brooklyn, NYFrench Mid-century Birdcage Étagère Hanging Shelf, Brass, Steel. Can hang from the ceiling or sit on the floor. Gorgeous, substantial piece. Meas...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Shelves
MaterialsBrass, Iron
- Vintage Brass Faux Bois Étagère Shelf, Trompe L’oeil ShelvesBy MastercraftLocated in Brooklyn, NYVintage Brass Faux Bois Étagère Shelf, Trompe L’oeil Shelves. Regency gilt iron shelves. Frame only. Gorgeous display piece.Category
Mid-20th Century American Hollywood Regency Shelves
MaterialsBrass
- Kovaks Enameled Steel Floor Lamp Shelving & Display Etagere Mid-Century MinimalBy George KovacsLocated in Brooklyn, NYMinimal G. Kovaks enameled steel tri-level floor lamp shelving & display etagere. Vintage 1970's mid-century modern space age George Kovaks 2-tier floor l...Category
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsSteel, Chrome
$1,410 Sale Price40% Off
- Jens Risom Walnut Bookcase ShelvingBy Jens RisomLocated in Countryside, ILJens Risom walnut bookcase shelving Bookcase measures: 22.5 wide x 15 deep x 44 high All pieces of furniture can be had in what we call restored ...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsWalnut
- 1960’s Vintage Teak Ladderax Bookcase ShelvingBy Staples & Co. LtdLocated in London, GBA very stylish and practical vintage shelving unit in teak by ladderax. This was made in England, it dates from the 1960’s. This is a clever and iconic design, the ladderax units we...Category
Mid-20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsMetal
- Free Standing String Shelving System, Teak Bookcase with Cabinet by Whb GermanyBy WHB furnitureLocated in Gaggenau, DEString shelf-system teak by WHB Germany, 1950s Measurements: Height : 225 cm Width : 145 cm Depth : 40 cm Please inquiry for prices to your country before buying. A wooden crat...Category
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsTeak
- Modern Chrome Shelving Unit or Bookcase, C 1960, Chrome, Midcentury DesignLocated in New York, NYA fantastic square, chrome shelving unit from the 1960's. Finished all around. Can be floating in a room for decorative objects. Glass shelves ar...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Shelves
MaterialsChrome
- Danish Design Teak Bookcase, 1960sLocated in Elshout, NLDeens Design Deze teak boekenkast is een tijdloos meubelstuk dat functionaliteit en esthetiek prachtig combineert. Helaas hebben we de designer en maker niet kunnen achterhalen. Maar...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsTeak
- Mid Century Italian Free Standing Shelving Unit, 1950'sLocated in Oud Beijerland, NLVery nice free standing shelve system, fabricated in Italy in the 50's. 4 wooden shelves with a black painted metal system and brass feet. It is very easy to disassemble with 8...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Shelves
MaterialsMetal, Brass