Some pieces mark the beginning of a story. This George Nakashima Long Chair belongs to the formative years of one of the twentieth century's most celebrated furniture makers. Originally conceived in 1947, the Long Chair was reinterpreted in 1951 with a woven cotton webbing and seagrass seat and back, replacing the earlier upholstered cushions. This 1952 example retains one of the design's most distinctive early features: three rows of seagrass woven through the back webbing, a striking graphic detail found only on chairs produced through 1953.

Created during the first decade of Nakashima's New Hope workshop, the chair reflects the principles that would come to define his work—honest craftsmanship, sculptural simplicity and a profound respect for the natural beauty of wood. Both an important collector's piece and a timeless work of design, it stands as a compelling example from a pivotal moment in Nakashima's career.

Accompanying the chair is a digital copy of the original order book entry, which records and identifies this specific example.

About the designer

George Nakashima (b. 1905 – 1990) was one of the most influential American furniture designers and woodworkers of the twentieth century. Born in Spokane, Washington, to Japanese immigrant parents, he studied architecture before extensive travels through Europe, North Africa, and Japan shaped a deep regard for material, place, and craftsmanship.

After the internment of his family during the Second World War, Nakashima learned traditional Japanese woodworking from master carpenter Gentaro Hikogawa. In 1943, he established his workshop in New Hope, Pennsylvania, where he combined architectural precision, Japanese craft traditions, and the philosophy of Integral Yoga to create furniture that celebrated the natural beauty and individuality of wood.

From his free-edge tables and signature butterfly joints to monumental Peace Tables, gifted to the continents of the world, Nakashima's work became defining examples of twentieth-century American craft. Today, Nakashima's legacy endures through his New Hope studio, led by his daughter, Mira Nakashima, who continues to preserve his vision through expressing a belief in craftsmanship as a force for unity and humanity.