A George Nakashima Conoid Bench, est. $65,000 - $75,000 price realised. $68,137.00.
Soul of a Tree: The Legacy of George Nakashima
George Nakashima with his collection of wood, c1950s.
Webb's
October
George Nakashima is without question one of the leading innovators of the 20th century. His contribution to modernism, in my opinion, cannot be overstated, and the opportunity to present his exceptional work to market in 2021 has been one of the highlights of my time in the auction industry. After graduating from Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a Master’s in Architecture, Nakashima immediately sought inspiration from the world. He purchased an around-the-globe steamship ticket and travelled through France, India, and his ancestral home of Japan, where he engaged with the works of Le Courbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright, and worked closely with Antonin Raymond. He indulged in rich cultural experiences, all of which would inform his pre-war production. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour and the incarceration of all West Coast residents of Japanese ancestry led to a pivotal moment in his development as a craftsman. Assigned the role of designing and planning rooms within the camp, Nakashima collaborated with skilled ‘Issei’ carpenter Gentaro Hikogawa. It was during this time the carpenter trained Nakashima in the precise use and care of Japanese hand tools, refining his skills as a woodworker, and honing his knowledge of Japanese wood joinery to a level usually reserved for generational artisans. The skill Nakashima developed with Hikogawa became an essential feature of his post-war practice. The unique design philosophy of Nakashima is something that has fascinated me for some time. It’s well documented that within his Pennsylvania studio there were enormous racks filled with locally sourced slabs of timber. These imposing slices of American hickory, walnut and oak would remain untouched, often for years at a time, until Nakashima understood the purest way of expressing their natural form through design and execution.
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