George Nakashima Walnut Plank Footstool or Table, 1973
View Similar Items
George Nakashima Walnut Plank Footstool or Table, 1973
About the Item
- Creator:George Nakashima (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 12.5 in (31.75 cm)Width: 19 in (48.26 cm)Depth: 14 in (35.56 cm)
- Style:American Craftsman (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1973
- Condition:stains and minor loss to edges.
- Seller Location:Houston, TX
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU85061787342
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.
- Warren Platner Side Tables for KnollBy Knoll, Warren PlatnerLocated in Houston, TXWarren platner pair of side or occasional tables Knoll International USA, 1960s Oak, bronzed steel Measures: 18.5 height × 24 diameter inches.Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsSteel
$7,500 / set - Arthur Umanoff Desk Clock, George Nelson & Associates, 1950sBy George Nelson, Howard MillerLocated in Houston, TXGeorge Nelson & Associates table clock. Howard Miller Clock Company, USA. Rosewood, steel. Measures: 4.25 W x 3 D x 5.5 H inches. Signed with decal manufacturer's label t...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Clocks
MaterialsSteel
- Florence Knoll Nightstand in WalnutBy Knoll, Florence KnollLocated in Houston, TXFlorence Knoll nightstand in walnut Knoll, USA, 1956. Walnut. Measures: 18 W x 18 D x 20 H inches. Nightstand has a single drawer ab...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
MaterialsWalnut
- George Nelson & Associates for Herman Miller Cabinet Model 5211By George Nelson, Herman MillerLocated in Houston, TXGeorge Nelson & Associates Miniature cabinet, model 5211 Herman Miller USA, 1950s Walnut, rosewood, enameled steel, laminate, porcelain Measures: 20.25 W × 14 D × 32.25 H in ...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
MaterialsWalnut
- Hand-hammered Sterling Sculptural Necklace or Choker by Jan Arenhill, 1969By Jan ArenhillLocated in Houston, TXUnique sterling silver necklace by Jan Arenhill, Malmö. Malmö, Sweden, circa 1969, hand-hammered sterling silver. Impressed with following hallmarks: Year mark T9 1969. Artist's ...Category
Vintage 1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Collectible Jewelry
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Maya Lin Table for Knoll StudioBy Knoll, Maya LinLocated in Houston, TXMaya Lin table Knoll Studio USA, 2000 birch veneer, metal Rare table designed by Maya Lin for Knoll. The table is no longer produced.Category
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Tables
MaterialsBirch
- Nakashima Widdicomb Style Walnut and Burl TableBy George NakashimaLocated in Brooklyn, NYAmerican walnut occasional or lamp table with burl maple inlaid top and hickory edge, circa 1957. Nice architectural details like exposed supports and octagonal carved legs. Unmarked...Category
Vintage 1950s American American Craftsman End Tables
MaterialsWalnut
- Fun House, Iron Footstool, WhiteBy MARCO RIPALocated in Fermo, FMFun House is a handcrafted iron cube. It can serve as seating, a small bedside table or coffee table. It can be combined with other cubes, or the parallelepi...Category
2010s Italian Minimalist Side Tables
MaterialsIron
- Fun House, Iron Footstool, BlackBy MARCO RIPALocated in Fermo, FMIron cube. It can serve as seating, a small bedside table or coffee table. It can be combined with other cubes, or the parallelepipedon, in the Fun House ser...Category
2010s Italian Minimalist Side Tables
MaterialsIron
- Fun House, Iron Footstool, Natural IronBy MARCO RIPALocated in Fermo, FMIron cube. It can serve as seating, a small bedside table or coffee table. It can be combined with other cubes, or the parallelepipedon, in the Fun House series. The cubes connect to...Category
2010s Italian Minimalist Side Tables
MaterialsIron
- Mid Century Walnut George Nakashima Sundra Tiered Side Table for WiddicombBy Widdicomb Furniture Co., George NakashimaLocated in Chino Hills, CAExperience a touch of timeless elegance with our authentic Mid-Century designed side table by the master woodworker, George Nakashima, for Widdicomb. Dating back to the stylish 1960s...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsOak, Walnut
$2,080 Sale Price20% Off - Fun House, Iron Footstool Cube, Blue SkyBy MARCO RIPALocated in Fermo, FMFun House is a handcrafted iron cube. It can serve as seating, a small bedside table or coffee table. It can be combined with other cubes, or the parallelepipedon, in the Fun House s...Category
2010s Italian Minimalist Side Tables
MaterialsIron