George Nakashima
Special Chest | Wall-Hung Cabinet, 1961
Material: American Black Walnut
A Special Chest/Wall Hung Cabinet by George Nakashima from 1961. A compact, rectilinear form, the cabinet features two sliding doors which reveal an interior equipped for adjustable open shelving.
“Cabinets are useful for the organization and storing of things; they may also be objects of beauty. Fine woodworkers are often called cabinetmakers. Making a fine cabinet for storing the warrior’s armor, sweets for the child or any other purpose can be a truly rewarding accomplishment.
A large vertical storage piece in the grand tradition of Chinese cabinets or European armoires, chests of drawers, small bedside units, small chests of drawers for organizing small things, ladies’ dressing boxes, filing cabinets, wall-hung pieces – all these help to make life orderly” (’The Soul of a Tree’, George Nakashima, 1981, p.136).
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 | 40 × 12 × 18.25 in |
|---|---|
| Artist | |
| Material | American black walnut |
| Style | |
| Date | 1961 |
