George Nakashima, Long Chair, American Black Walnut, Cotton Webbing, Usa, 1960s
About the Item
- Creator:George Nakashima (Designer),George Nakashima Studio (Cabinetmaker)
- Dimensions:Height: 32 in (81.28 cm)Width: 36.25 in (92.08 cm)Depth: 64 in (162.56 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1960s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. The wood surfaces have recently been sensitively reconditioned by a professional wood conservator to restore the beautiful original finish of the piece.
- Seller Location:High Point, NC
- Reference Number:
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: West Palm Beach, FL
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- George Nakashima, Coffee Table, American Black Walnut, New Hope, USA, 1982By George Nakashima, George Nakashima StudioLocated in High Point, NCAn American black walnut coffee table designed by George Nakashima and produced by Nakashima Studio, New Hope, Pennsylvania, United States, 1...Category
Vintage 1980s American Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsWalnut
- George Nakashima, Freeform Coffee Table, English Walnut, Studio USA 1971By George Nakashima, George Nakashima StudioLocated in High Point, NCA unique and sizable coffee / cocktail table in the "sled-shape" style. Produced by Nakashima Studio, New Hope, Pennsylvania, United States. Dated 1971 Executed in English Walnut...Category
Vintage 1980s American Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsWalnut
- George Mulhauser, Sultana Chaise Longue, Moulded Plywood, Velvet, USA, 1960sBy George Mulhauser, PlycraftLocated in High Point, NCA black-painted moulded plywood and brown velvet chaise longue designed by George Mulhauser and produced by Plycraft, USA, 1960s. seat height 17”.Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Chaise Longues
MaterialsVelvet, Plywood
- George Nakashima, Large Chest of Drawers, Walnut, for Widdicomb, America 1960sBy George Nakashima, Widdicomb Furniture Co.Located in High Point, NCA large walnut chest of drawers or dresser designed by George Nakashima. Produced by Widdicomb Furniture Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, A...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsBouclé, Walnut
- José Zanine Caldas, Chaise Longue, Marine Plywood, Rope, Fabric, Brazil, 1950sBy José Zanine Caldas, Mòveis Artisticos ZLocated in High Point, NCA chaise longue designed by José Zanine Caldas for Mòveis Artísticos Z, Brazil, in 1949. It features marina plywood, cord, and fabric. Present example was exhibited in Galería Mi...Category
Vintage 1940s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Chaise Longues
MaterialsLeather, Imbuia
- Osvaldo Borsani, Adjustable Daybed, Metal, Leather, Fabric, Tecno, Italy, 1956By Tecno, Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in High Point, NCAn adjustable "L77" daybed / chaise lounge. Designed by Osvaldo Borsani for his own firm, Tecno, in 1956. Adjustable to be set in multiple positions. In black-lacquered metal, wit...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Daybeds
MaterialsMetal
- TH Robsjohn-Gibbings Walnut Daybed for Widdicomb, USA 1960sBy T.H. Robsjohn-GibbingsLocated in New York, NYA TH Robsjohn-Gibbings daybed from his collaboration with John Widdicomb in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This line was a modern take on many classic designs...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Daybeds
MaterialsWalnut
- Mira Nakashima Chaise Lounge or Long Chair after a design by George NakashimaBy George Nakashima, Mira NakashimaLocated in Berlin, DEMira Nakashima chaise lounge or long chair based on a design by George Nakashima. The Chaise is made in black walnut with sea grass details and woven webbing. Due to the unique wood ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Chaise Longues
MaterialsWood, Walnut
- 1960s Pair of Stamped Pierre Guariche DaybedsBy Pierre GuaricheLocated in Cathedral City, CAPair of original daybeds wood frame with iron legs stamped Pierre Guariche.Category
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Daybeds
MaterialsIron
- 1960s Italian Design Style Rattan Daybed or Lounger Chaise LongueLocated in Tourcoing, FR1960s Italian design style rattan daybed or lounge chaise longue.Category
21st Century and Contemporary European Mid-Century Modern Daybeds
MaterialsRattan
- Barcelona Daybed by Mies Van Der Rohe for Knoll International, 1960s, SignedBy Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, KnollLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis iconic and authentic (both the leather cushion and the Mahogany frame is signed with Knoll International labels) daybed is the 'Barcelona Daybed' also referred to as the 'Barcelona Couch' by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe for Knoll International and is considered an 'early original production collectors example' as it is from Knoll's earlier years of producing this design in the 1960s and 1970s before they changed to different manufacturing processes during the 1980s. This example is signed with a Knoll International label that has the 320 Park Ave address and is dated on the back of the label July 9, 1975. To determine the estimated production year we note that the date most likely corresponds to the retailer or possibly the Knoll sold/ ship date. The address of 320 Park Ave changed to Fifth Ave in 1970 and Knoll Associates did not become Knoll International until 1968. Therefore we would pinpoint the production year to be between 1968 and 1970. It is possible that it was slightly after 1970 that this example was produced as it is believed that Knoll continued to use labels with the older 320 Park Ave for several months to a couple years after changing addresses, however generally speaking 1970s examples will be labelled with their Fifth Ave address. All construction details also indicate a 1st-Generation 'original' production by Knoll as their production did not change throughout the Knoll Associates years and through the first half of the Knoll International years. This rare original 1st-Generation 'Barcelona Daybed' features its original brown leather upholstery with subtle patina and wear throughout. These traces of age and use bring more vibrancy to the leather, giving this piece an on-trend lightly distressed look. The original bolster pillow in matching brown leather is secured to the cushion and platform via straps and lock snaps. The platform is crafted from stained Mahogany and supported by polished tubular stainless steel legs and the original leather straps are all in-tact. Both the cushion is labelled and the platform frame as well with a partial Knoll International sticker label as can be seen in the photo gallery. Considered to be the epitome of modern design, Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich originally designed the Barcelona chair in 1929 to serve as seating for the king and queen of Spain in the German Pavilion. This was Germany's entry for the International Exhibition, hosted by Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Designed in 1930 the Barcelona daybed (also referred to as the Barcelona Couch) emanates this seminal design, paralleling the same simplicity and elegance of the iconic Barcelona chair. This Barcelona couch by Mies van der Rohe for Knoll International is ideal for a living room, family room, study, den or lounge. It would also be an Apt choice in a corporate, retail or hospitality location such as a boutique hotel lobby, cocktail bar, members club, workspace studio, executive office or in a retail boutique...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Daybeds
MaterialsStainless Steel
- Concordia Chair by Mira Nakashima based on a George Nakashima design, USABy George Nakashima, George Nakashima StudioLocated in Berlin, DEMira Nakashima Concordia Chair based on a design by George Nakashima. Outstanding grain on the seat, can be signed. Important: Please consider the prod...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Ch...
MaterialsWalnut