George Nakashima 1905–1990
George Nakashima was born in Spokane, Washington in 1905. He received a Bachelor of Architecture at the University of Washington in 1929 and a Master of Architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1931, as well as the Prix Fontainebleau from L’Ecole Americaine des Beaux Arts in France in 1928. He moved back to Paris briefly in 1934, after which he moved to Tokyo to work for architect Antonin Raymond, where he was exposed to the Japanese folk art tradition. His work for Raymond sent him to Pondicherry, India, where he discovered his second career as a furniture maker. While there, he designed and supervised the construction of Golconde, a dormitory for Sri Aurobindo Ashram.
In 1940, Nakashima returned to the United States to start a family with his new wife, Marion Okajima, and the couple soon had their first child, Mira. They had settled in Seattle, Washington, and like many of Japanese ancestry living on the west coast, the Nakashimas were sent to an internment camp in Idaho during WWII. While Nakashima was there he made furniture from whatever pieces of wood he could find and learned techniques of Japanese woodworking from others stationed at the camp, including a skilled woodworker named Gentaro Hikogawa. After nearly a year at the camp, in 1943, Antonin Raymond successfully petitioned for the family’s release, which prompted their relocation to New Hope, Pennsylvania. Living on the Raymond farm, it wasn’t before long until Nakashima began making furniture once again and, in 1945, opened his furniture and woodworking studio.
On Nakashima’s property, he designed the family’s quarters, the woodshop, and many out buildings, including an arboretum. There he created a body of work that incorporated Japanese design and shop practices, as well as Modernism—work that made his name synonymous with the best of 20th century Studio Craftsman furniture.
Nakashima believed that the tree and its wood dictated the piece it was to become. He elevated what others would see as imperfections: choosing boards with knots and burls and cracks, which he would enhance and stabilize with butterfly joints. He designed furnishings for sitting, dining, sleeping, and working. While all his work is prized, his Frenchman’s Cove and Conoid tables are most so, particularly when executed in exotic woods and with free edges. Many of his designs are known by their distinctive bases: Conoid, Miguren, Trestle, and Pyramid among them. He is also known for his Mira chairs and stools, named for his daughter, who now leads his shop and continues his design legacy.
While Nakashima’s philosophy did not embrace mass production, he did collaborate with Knoll from 1945-1954 and on the Origins line with Widdicomb-Mueller between 1957 and 1961. Major commissions included furnishings for Nelson Rockefeller and Columbia University. His works are represented in the most important institutions in the world. Among many awards from the AIA and other prestigious institutions, Nakashima received the Third Order of the Sacred Treasure from the Emperor and Government of Japan. He received the designation "Living Treasure" in the United States, and he worked and exhibited until shortly before his death in June 1990, one week after receiving his final award, Alumnus Summa Laude Dignatus, from the University of Washington.
Upcoming Lots George Nakashima
400
George Nakashima
Conoid chair
estimate: $2,800–3,500
402
George Nakashima
Table lamp
estimate: $6,500–8,500
403
George Nakashima
Minguren II end table
estimate: $15,000–20,000
405
George Nakashima
Custom Hi-Fi/Bar cabinet
estimate: $17,000–22,000
407
George Nakashima
Kornblut cabinet
estimate: $10,000–15,000
409
George Nakashima
Hanging Wall cabinet
estimate: $30,000–40,000
410
George Nakashima
Rare Bahut cabinet
estimate: $20,000–30,000
412
George Nakashima
Conoid chairs, set of six
estimate: $17,000–22,000
413
George Nakashima
Exceptional Conoid dining table
estimate: $20,000–30,000
415
George Nakashima
Triple Chest of Drawers
estimate: $15,000–20,000
416
George Nakashima
Slab coffee table
estimate: $18,000–24,000
418
George Nakashima
Rare and Early cabinet
estimate: $15,000–20,000
419
George Nakashima
Conoid Cushion lounge chair
estimate: $8,000–12,000
422
George Nakashima
Hanging Wall cabinet
estimate: $7,000–10,000
423
George Nakashima
Lounge Chair Rocker with Right Arm
estimate: $7,000–9,000
424
George Nakashima
Double Chest of Drawers
estimate: $13,000–16,000
426
George Nakashima
Chest
estimate: $6,000–9,000
428
George Nakashima
Cushion armchairs, pair
estimate: $4,000–6,000
430
George Nakashima
Conoid chair
estimate: $2,500–3,500
432
George Nakashima
Slab coffee table
estimate: $18,000–22,000
433
George Nakashima
Sliding Door cabinet
estimate: $9,000–12,000
435
George Nakashima
Rare Special tea cart
estimate: $15,000–20,000
436
George Nakashima
Q bench
estimate: $12,000–16,000
468
George Nakashima
Minguren I coffee table
estimate: $12,000–18,000
470
George Nakashima
Chest
estimate: $7,000–9,000
471
George Nakashima
Grass-Seated chair
estimate: $2,000–3,000
473
George Nakashima
Trestle dining table
estimate: $10,000–15,000
476
George Nakashima
Bench
estimate: $5,000–7,000
478
George Nakashima
Early Special bookcase
estimate: $1,500–2,000
480
George Nakashima
Wall shelves, set of three
estimate: $2,500–3,500
481
George Nakashima
Queen-size headboard
estimate: $7,000–10,000
482
George Nakashima
Special trundle bed
estimate: $5,000–7,000
484
George Nakashima
Chest, model 212-L and mirror, model 270-W
estimate: $5,000–7,000
491
George Nakashima
Sliding Door cabinet
estimate: $7,500–10,000
Auction Results George Nakashima
George Nakashima
Exceptional Cross-Legged coffee table
estimate: $25,000–35,000
result: $75,000
George Nakashima
Hanging Wall Cabinet
estimate: $30,000–40,000
result: $68,750
George Nakashima
Exceptional Hanging Wall Cabinet
estimate: $30,000–40,000
result: $62,500
George Nakashima
Fine Triple Sliding Door cabinet
estimate: $25,000–35,000
result: $53,125
George Nakashima
Fine book-matched Minguren II dining table
estimate: $45,000–65,000
result: $50,000
George Nakashima
Set of ten Conoid chairs
estimate: $22,500–27,500
result: $50,000
George Nakashima
Special Wall Case
estimate: $25,000–35,000
result: $46,875
George Nakashima
Triple Sliding Door Cabinet
estimate: $30,000–40,000
result: $45,500
George Nakashima
Conoid Headboard and king-size Conoid Platform Bed
estimate: $40,000–50,000
result: $43,750
George Nakashima
Kornblut cabinets, pair
estimate: $25,000–35,000
result: $40,960
George Nakashima
Exceptional
estimate: $40,000–50,000
result: $40,625
George Nakashima
Conoid bench with spindle back
estimate: $35,000–45,000
result: $40,000
George Nakashima
Hanging Wall Cabinet
estimate: $18,000–24,000
result: $40,000
George Nakashima
Long chair
estimate: $30,000–50,000
result: $37,500
George Nakashima
Kent Hall floor lamp
estimate: $15,000–20,000
result: $35,000
George Nakashima
Double Chest of Drawers
estimate: $7,000–9,000
result: $35,000
George Nakashima
Triple Chest of Drawers
estimate: $10,000–15,000
result: $32,500
George Nakashima
Exceptional Conoid dining table
estimate: $28,000–38,000
result: $31,250
George Nakashima
Conoid dining table
estimate: $10,000–15,000
result: $30,000
George Nakashima
Minguren I coffee table
estimate: $30,000–50,000
result: $30,000
George Nakashima
Triple Sliding Door Cabinet
estimate: $20,000–30,000
result: $30,000
George Nakashima
Long chair
estimate: $20,000–30,000
result: $30,000
George Nakashima
Slab coffee table from the Collection of Andy Warhol
estimate: $20,000–30,000
result: $30,000
George Nakashima
Kent Hall floor lamp
estimate: $17,500–22,500
result: $27,500