Understanding and Appreciating the George Nakashima Bench
- May 10, 2024
- -
George Nakashima is widely considered one of the greatest and most influential Studio Craft Furniture designers of the 20th century. His enduring legacy and the one-of-a-kind body of work produced in his lifetime continue to stand out to collectors and historians alike. Nakashima’s benches are some of his most celebrated pieces, and are highly coveted by collectors of Studio Craft Furniture.
Who Is George Nakashima?
One of his generation’s greatest craftsmen, George Nakashima was the Washington-born son of Japanese immigrants. He started his education and training as an architect at the University of Washington. In 1930, Nakashima received his Master’s degree in Architecture from M.I.T., but ultimately left his career as an architect behind in the United States, traveling to Paris in pursuit of the city’s buzzing creative energy.
There, he found his love for travel, visiting places around the world and eventually ending up at his grandmother’s home in Japan, where he lived on a farm outside of Tokyo and worked as an architect in the city. A series of experiences, from his work on an ashram to his harrowing experience in a United States concentration camp after the Pearl Harbor bombing, would all contribute to Nakashima’s ultimate role as a standout Studio Craft furniture designer.
What Shaped George Nakashima’s Vision
One of the greatest influences on George Nakashima’s career would be his experience in Pondicherry, India, where he designed and directed the construction of an ashram for spiritual leader Sri Aurobindo. Aurobindo’s vibrant teachings would go on to shape Nakashima’s philosophy for the rest of his career. Aurobindo was a distinct philosophical leader in the area of human evolution. His teachings would strike a deep chord with Nakashima, who returned to Japan and met his wife Marion Okajima shortly thereafter.
George and Marion wed and settled in Seattle where George Nakashima opened his first furniture business in 1941. His first important furniture commission, for Andre Ligne, brought him recognition when Ligne’s interior was published in California Arts and Architecture in 1941.
After the Pearl Harbor bombings, many individuals of Japanese descent, including Nakashima and his family, were detained in concentration camps. In one such camp in Idaho, George Nakashima discovered a passion for Japanese woodworking, learning the art form from a Nisei woodworker who was also detained. With sponsorship by his previous employer, Antonin Raymond, the Nakashima family was permitted to leave the camp. They moved to Pennsylvania in 1943, and in 1946, he designed and built his workshop and a house, in New Hope, PA.
Nakashima’s Singularity
The unique vision of George Nakashima prioritizes the natural beauty of his materials in not only his woodworking, but his architecture as well. He was able to produce furniture which held respect and reverence to the material, which included live edges, and showcased alternate grain patterns which were a disruption to the previous boundaries of Studio Craft. He was considered one of the great innovators of twentieth-century design, inventing a new design vocabulary that aligned with his unique vision.
Nakashima’s work also disrupted the worlds of design and woodworking through a rejection of mass-manufacturing, instead calling upon craft ideals which predated and eschewed the status quo of the time. George Nakashima brought together traditional Japanese design, and American vernacular design, combined with his own personal aesthetics, to produce objects “…without ‘style’ that are real and utilitarian.”
How is a George Nakashima Bench Characterized?
George Nakashima’s benches, while similarly functional, are no ordinary benches. They feature rich, natural wood, and do not shy away from imperfections, rather highlighting them as a facet of the material’s natural beauty. George Nakashima benches can be utilized as seating, coffee tables, or shelving depending on their design, with some being wall-hung and others resting on a variety of leg types. Often, they lean toward the asymmetrical, feature mismatched legs, and are uniquely shaped.
George Nakashima favored a process of collaboration with natural materials, working to develop a sort of relationship between the artist and the material. In his own words, George believed that “Cutting logs entails a great responsibility, for we are dealing with fallen majesty. There are no formulas, no guidelines, but only experience, instinct, and contact with the divine.”
Identifying a Genuine George Nakashima Bench
George Nakashima’s most iconic bench shapes include the “R” Bench, the Conoid Bench, Bench with Back, and the Turned Leg bench. Below, you will find a few key identifiers of authenticity.
- Made with authentic, high-quality woods such as rosewood, oak, walnut, and various types of burl wood
- Logs milled with the intent to preserve the natural beauty of the material – look for raw cuts and uniquities in the wood
- Asymmetrical or atypical shape
- Sleek oil finish
- Sourced from a reputable dealer
Examples of George Nakashima Benches
Here are a few George Nakashima benches currently available at Moderne Gallery.
Why Collectors Covet the George Nakashima Bench
Today, George Nakashima’s legacy of design is carried on by George Nakashima Woodworkers, led by his wife and fellow designer Mira Nakashima. Collectors continue to covet and commission their unique benches, drawn to the natural beauty, synchronistic flow between artist and material, and the carefully hand-chosen woods utilized in their creation.
George Nakashima benches are versatile, and can be integrated seamlessly into collections of many different types. Because of their singularity and the legacy of Nakashima himself, each individual piece holds deep historical significance, appealing to collectors who value the preservation of Studio Craft artifacts. Their beauty is seen and appreciated by a wide audience of collectors.
Moderne Gallery’s George Nakashima Collection
Moderne Gallery is home to the foremost experts in Studio Craft furniture, and has dealt extensively with George Nakashima furniture, including benches. We are able to effectively authenticate and deal these works with confidence and reverence for George Nakashima’s enduring legacy and unparalleled craftsmanship. It is our mission to preserve these works and to help collectors find pieces they are passionate about.
Please click here to submit items for appraisal or contact us with any questions.