George Nakashima dining chairs, 1947, set of 4
Description
George Nakashima dining chairs, seagrass and wood, USA, 1947, set of four
George Nakashima designed these dining chairs in 1947, embodying a fusion of traditional Japanese woodworking and modernist design. Crafted from American black walnut, they feature a low, curved semicircular backrest and a hand-woven grass seat—balancing visual softness with structural tension. Each chair celebrates the natural beauty of the wood, leaving grain, fissures, and imperfections deliberately visible - testament to Nakashima’s belief in the spiritual resonance of living materials. His signature butterfly joints and live edges reinforce the wood’s organic character, embodying a philosophy where craftsmanship honors nature rather than conceals it.
Nakashima’s philosophy was shaped by close collaboration with Antonin and Noémi Raymond and architect Junzō Yoshimura, whose work—like the Shofuso House in Philadelphia—bridged Japanese tradition and modernist clarity. Nakashima’s formative years also included time at the Minidoka internment camp, where he studied under master carpenter Gentaro Hikogawa, refining his sense of joinery and craftsmanship. After the war, he established his studio in New Hope, Pennsylvania, with help from the Raymonds. There, his work paralleled that of other mid-century masters like Hans Wegner and Finn Juhl, who similarly emphasized craft, organic form, and the expressive potential of materials.
These Nakashima chairs represent a defining chapter in the American design history, where visionaries such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Karl Springer, and Edward J. Wormley elevated furniture-making to an art form. Distinct from ornamental or factory-produced furnishings, George Nakashima’s creations marry structural clarity with natural elegance, highlighting the inherent beauty of the wood through meticulous craftsmanship.
Dimensions
Height: 28.93 in (73.5 cm)
Width: 22.04 in (56 cm)
Depth: 19.29 in (49 cm)
Seat Height: 16.91 in (43 cm)
Seat Depth: 18.50 in (47 cm)
Seat Width: 17.71 in (45 cm)
Design
1947
Manufacture
1940-1949
Material
Seagrass and wood
Condition
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