The "Design Made in America" sale on Wednesday, November 28th 2018 at 18:00 is the opportunity for PIASA to present many creations by George Nakashima, a major figure in American design and representative of the wood spirit. Thus the set of chairs "Seagrass" in walnut and marine herbarium, the suspended cabinet in walnut or the desk and chair model "double cross legged desk" from which springs an almost architectural power and simplicity.
Lot 71- George Nakashima (1905-1990)
Double cross legged desk model
Desk and chair - Unique Piece
Walnut, white walnut
Creation Date: 1962 and 1980
Estimate 25 000 - 35 000 €
Carpenter, designer and architect, George Nakashima was born in Spokane in 1905 in the United States. After graduating with a degree and a master's degree in architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he travels alone abroad to explore the world and study architectural styles, spending time in places like Paris or Pondicherry where he nourishes his sensitivity.
Lot 125 - George Nakashima (1905-1990)
Slab arm rocking chair" model - Unique Piece
Rocking chair
Walnut
Signed
Date of creation: 1965
Estimate 7 000 - 9 000 €
During the Second World War, he focused particularly to design and furniture, to the detriment of architecture. The turning point in Nakashima's career came in 1942 when he met a master woodcarver who taught him Japanese craft techniques. Influenced by its origins, he perfectly transmits the tradition of craftsmanship, combining it with a design rooted in the era of time. He has consistently defended the idea of the uniqueness of handmade furniture against massive post-war production.
Lot 96 - George Nakashima (1905-1990)
Model "Seagrass" - Unique Piece
Set of 12 chairs
Walnut and seaweed
Date of creation: 1958-1960
Estimate 25 000 - 35 000 €
Nakashima's signature is characterized by his tables made of large pieces of wood with edges delimited by the bark, like unfinished pieces, always unique. Three models of walnut "Minguren" tables will be presented during this sale: the "Minguren" and "Minguren I" models, each estimated between €14,000 and 18,000, and the "Minguren II" model estimated between €15,000 and 20,000. This series was designed to celebrate a number of exhibitions in Japan and is named after the group of craftsmen who designed them. From 1964 he collaborated with Sakura Seisakusho, which became the only company in the world authorized to create Nakashima designs.
Lot 94 - George Nakashima (1905-1990)
Model "Minguren" - Unique Piece
Coffee table
Walnut
Date of creation: 1978
Signed with a felt pen "The hand and the spirit"
Estimate 14 000 - 18 000 €
Lot 70 - George Nakashima (1905-1990)
Model "Minguren I" - Unique Piece
Coffee table
Walnut
Date of creation: 1983
Estimate 14 000 - 18 000 €
Lot 43 - George Nakashima (1905-1990)
Model "Minguren II" - Unique Piece
Coffee table
Walnut
Date of creation: 1986
Signed "George Nakashima 1986"
Estimate 15 000 - 20 000 €
The "Conoid" fireside chair model, named after the Nakashima studio in New Hope, Pennsylvania, is also an iconic piece of the designer. It was produced in walnut and rests on two legs to make the chair movable on carpet. Its slim and elegant shapes are reminiscent of the workshop's glass walls and simple, functional chairs with square backs.
Lot 44 - George Nakashima (1905-1990)
Conoid" model - Unique Piece
Pair of heaters
Walnut, white walnut and fabric
Date of creation: 1965
Estimate 22 000 - 28 000 €
Another piece representative of the American designer's style, two versions of the "Wepman" model will be available at auction during this sale. These side tables have a style that is at once raw, elegant and refined, drawn from the nature that fascinates him. "Being intimate with nature in its multiple moods is one of life's greatest experiences," he says. Wood and its species seem ideal to convey this philosophy. His book The Soul of a Tree was published in 1983.
124 - George Nakashima (1905-1990)
Wepman" model - Unique Piece
Walnut Side Table
Creation Date : 1952
Estimate 2 000 - 3 000 €
Lot 122 - George Nakashima (1905-1990)
"Wepman" Model- Unique Piece
Pair of side tables
Walnut
Creation Date : 1972
Estimate 3 500 - 4 500 €
