Early Isamu Noguchi Table for Herman Miller, 1950s
About the Item
- Creator:Isamu Noguchi (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 15.75 in (40.01 cm)Width: 50 in (127 cm)Depth: 36 in (91.44 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:Glass,Other
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Seattle, WA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU5748241859862
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.
You May Also Like
Vintage 1950s American Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Glass, Birch, Paint
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Glass, Cherry
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
Steel
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Aluminum
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Uranium Glass, Ash
Late 20th Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Glass, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Aluminum
Vintage 1950s American Modern Dining Room Tables
Enamel, Steel, Iron
20th Century American Modern Side Tables
Laminate
Vintage 1960s Italian Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood
More From This Seller
View All1990s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Bamboo, Paper
Early 2000s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Steel
Vintage 1980s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Bamboo, Paper
Early 2000s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Steel
Vintage 1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Steel
Vintage 1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Steel
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
A New Exhibition Spotlights the Nuance of 1940s Art and Design
Works by a range of designers and artists prove that the constraints of the time didn't stifle creativity.
How Noguchi Elevated Ashtrays to Objets d’Art
Smoking might have fallen out of fashion, but these ashtrays have enduring design appeal.