Single Arm Lounge Chair (Left Arm)
Manufactured by Sakura Seisakusho
Japan, 1985
Walnut
Measurements
78 × 48 × 82h cm
30,7 × 18,9 × 32,3h in
Provenance
Private collection
Details
Hot-stamped with “Nakashima”.
Model created circa 1985 and produced by Sakura Seisakusho in Japan, the authorized editor of Nakashima’s work.
Literature
Mira Nakashima, Nature, Form & Spirit: The Life and Legacy of George Nakashima, Abrams, New York, 2003, similar model p. 97
George Nakashima, The Soul of a Tree: A Woodworker’s Reflections, Kodansha, New York, 2011, similar models pp. 38, 143, 173, 180
About
The Single Arm Lounge Chair exemplifies George Nakashima’s mastery in merging sculptural form with a deep respect for the inherent beauty of wood. Crafted in walnut and edited by Sakura Seisakusho in Japan, the piece reflects Nakashima’s enduring philosophy that each element of wood possesses its own spirit and must be shaped in harmony with nature. The asymmetrical armrest and balanced proportions lend the chair a quiet strength and elegance, embodying both functionality and meditative calm. Created near the end of Nakashima’s career, this design distills decades of experimentation with organic form, structure, and the relationship between maker and material.
Biography
George Nakashima (1905–1990) was a visionary woodworker, architect, and one of the founders of the American studio furniture movement. Born in Spokane, Washington, and trained in architecture at the University of Washington and MIT, he developed a spiritual and aesthetic philosophy shaped by his travels through Europe, India, and Japan.
After establishing his workshop in New Hope, Pennsylvania, Nakashima became known for his use of live-edge slabs, expressive joinery, and reverence for natural imperfection. His collaborations with Japan’s Sakura Seisakusho in the 1960s and 1980s—culminating in the Minguren and later furniture series—represent a unique bridge between Japanese craftsmanship and American modernism. His works remain celebrated worldwide for their timeless integrity and poetic engagement with nature.
