George Nakashima
Conoid Coffee Table

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Artist George NakashimaAmerican, 1905–1990

CultureAmerican

Titles

Conoid Coffee Table

Date1960

MediumBlack walnut

DimensionsOverall: 13 1/2 × 77 × 30 1/2in. (34.3 × 195.6 × 77.5cm)

Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by the Mary Kathryn Lynch Kurtz Charitable Lead Trust

Object number2001.351

Non exposé

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Department

Decorative Arts, Craft, and Design

Object Type

FURNITURE

DescriptionGeorge Nakashima was one of America's most influential first-generation furnituremakers and woodworkers. His synthesis of architectural elements and historical styles, and his respect for the inherent beauty of wood, transformed the way studio furniture was made from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1960, Nakashima returned to his architectural roots with the Conoid series. Named after his Conoid Studio, built in 1957, the new furniture designs synthesized architectural elements with organic forms. Wood choices, always important to Nakashima, became even more paramount. Many designs in the Conoid series also incorporated cantilever technology, a sign that although Nakashima was not a part of the new Modernism of the mid-century, he was still very much aware of progress in architecture and design. This table dates from the first year of Nakashima’s Conoid designs. Called a “special coffee table” on its bill of sale, it cost $140.

ProvenanceThe artist; Mr. and Mrs. Nattans; [Moderne Gallery, Philadelphia]; purchased by MFAH, 2001.

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