George Nakashima
Headboard | King Size, 1961
Material: American Black Walnut
A 1961 king size Headboard by George Nakashima featuring a large, single slab of American Black Walnut with organic free edges along its top and bottom length. The free edges are highlighted by bands of warm yellow sapwood which create a striking contrast, defining the composition of the highly figured slab.
The headboard’s trapezoidal form and linear supportive elements create a dynamic visual interplay and balance the expressive slab with an architectural clarity signature of Nakashima.
George Nakashima was born in Spokane, Washington in 1905 to Japanese parents who had immigrated to the United States. Educated and trained as an architect at the University of Washington, Nakashima received his Master’s degree in Architecture from M.I.T. in 1930. After working briefly as an architect in the United States he left for Paris seeking the creative energies of one of the great urban centers of the day. From there he traveled extensively, ending up at the home of his grandmother, living on a farm on the outskirts of Tokyo.
| Dimensions | 114.62 × 3 × 37 in |
|---|---|
| Artist | |
| Date | 1961 |
| Material | American black walnut |
| Style |
