George Nakashima
Early Long Chair with Free-Form Arm, 1952
American black walnut with sea-grass and cotton webbing.
The earliest version of the Long Chair was designed in 1947 to be used with cushions. In 1951, Nakashima made 2 examples for which he replaced the cushions with cotton webbing and sea-grass. The use of 3 rows of sea-grass interwoven with the webbing on the back was a pivotal graphic element, only found in examples made through 1953. In July, 1952 he received an order for 5 Long Chairs from Knoll Associates, requiring another redesign to incorporate a free form arm that Knoll requested. This example is one the 5 ordered by Knoll. It was gifted to a Knoll business associate, Kenneth B. White. Notably, Mira has recently adopted the use of sea-grass in her recent Long chairs.
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 | 35 × 66 × 30 in |
|---|---|
| Artist | |
| Date | 1952 |
| Style | |
| Exhibitions | Design Miami/ Paris 2023 |
