Photos by David B. Moore A beechwood sculpture of George Nakashima overlooks the Claro walnut Arlyn II dining table that the craftsman designed and built for collectors Arthur and Evelyn Krosnick. The table is surrounded by six Grass Seated Chairs. Above: Nakashima’s signature exposed dovetail joints can be seen in this close-up.

HISTORY, HIGHLIGHTS AND HELPFUL HINTS

Born in Spokane, Washington, Japanese-American George Nakashima (1905-1990) was educated as an architect, having earned a master’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. But it was furniture-making that ultimately won the spiritual man’s heart, and gained him worldwide fame.

Made out of walnut, cherry and other woods, his furniture is in collections of major international museums and corporations, and individual collectors are willing to pay hefty prices for it.

Nakashima perfected his skills under the tutelage of an elderly Japanese woodworker he met during World War II, when he, his wife and baby daughter were interned in an Idaho evacuation camp along with other Japanese-Americans.

An innovator in designing furniture, Nakashima believed that a tree has a soul, and that it was his duty as a woodworker to bring out that soul in fine pieces. “These would give the tree a second life,” says Scottsdale resident Evelyn Krosnick, who with her husband, Arthur, a retired physician, began collecting George Nakashima furniture in the early 1960s. Some of their pieces are shown on these pages.


With respect for the tree, Nakashima kept its knots, splits and other imperfections and incorporated them into his designs. His hallmark “butterfly” joints—which he used to keep gaps in a plank from moving farther apart—became integral design elements and are imitated to this day. Edges of tables and benches that display a tree’s natural gnarly edges —a signature feature of many Nakashima designs—also have inspired several generations of artisans.

Among admirers of George Nakashima’s work is architect David Hovey, president of Optima Inc. Collecting since 1967, he owns 350 or more pieces and likely is the single biggest collector.

As an architect, he says, “I appreciate the craftsmanship of his furniture and also the integrity of what he was doing. It has a spirit to it that nobody else could copy—an inherent understanding of the wood, of construction, of beauty and function, and how they work together.”

This 54"-long free-edged cocktail table is made of Oregon myrtle. The piece has a trademark George Nakashima sled base.

Hovey also collects pieces designed by Nakashima’s daughter, Mira Nakashima-Yarnall. Carrying on for her father, and trained by him since she was a child, she oversees the creation of iconic works by her dad and introduces her own pieces. “George and Mira—the two of them are the finest woodworkers in the world,” states Hovey.

The Krosnicks know the work of both Nakashimas well. Says Evelyn, “We gave each other pieces of George’s treasures at birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and the like.” One of their homes, in Princeton, New Jersey, burned down in 1989 after a plumber’s blowtorch sparked a fire; most of their 130 George Nakashima pieces were lost in the fire. Commissioned, the artisan began replicating the lost works based on his original plans. He died the next year, and his daughter completed the project. While many were sold at auction before the couple retired to Arizona, their home is still a testament to George Nakashima, with 40-plus  pieces honoring the craftsman’s spirit.

George Nakashima also designed furniture to be distributed to the mass market. For example, Knoll furniture company had the rights to some pieces that have been reintroduced in recent years. Locally, Design Within Reach in Scottsdale sells Knoll’s Straight-Backed Chair and a coffee table Nakashima designed in the 1940s. “This allowed him to expand and to make his name,” notes Design Within Reach studio spokesperson Summer Hill.

American black walnut Grass Seated bench

Oregon myrtle music stand

Detail from the Kornblut Case; the Persian walnut and rosewood cabinet bears Nakashima’s signature and the date April 19, 1990.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT
How can you recognize a true George Nakashima? His daughter, Mira Nakashima-Yarnall, a furniture-maker and author of Nature, Form & Spirit: The Life and Legacy of George Nakashima (Harry N. Abrams, 2003), notes:

“Don’t think that just because there are natural edges that it’s a Nakashima. Everybody’s doing that now.” Studying photos or attending auctions can be helpful, but even experts can be fooled, she cautions. Of a supposed George Nakashima piece obtained by someone at auction, she states, the edges were “off” and “the proportion was wrong.”

To know a George Nakashima, “You have to develop an eye for it.” Or, one may be able to verify authenticity by contacting her company. “We have good records from 1954 on,” she says.

WHERE TO FIND THEM
Furniture designed by master woodworker George Nakashima can be obtained through a variety of sources, including:
• George Nakashima Woodworker, S.A., in New Hope, Pennsylvania*  •  Estate sales  •  Christie’s  •  Sotheby’s  •  Moderne Gallery in Philadelphia

*A catalog of standard George Nakashima furniture designs is available through the company by calling (215) 862-2272, or by visiting nakashimawoodworker.com. The fee for the catalog, including postage, is $25 (free to architects and designers).