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| Antiques & Collectibles |
Out of the Woods
Catherine Bindman
05/03/2004
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VALUE JUDGEMENT
Furniture by master designer and craftsman George Nakashima
has increased in value by a factor of four in the past five years.
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The escalation of interest in both mid-century modernism and in the American
studio and craft movements in the early 1990s has spurred interest in
Nakashima’s designs.
• The uniqueness and robust practicality of nakashima’s furniture adds to its appeal.
• Nakashima’s large
free-form dining tables, incorporating rare woods, and certain pieces from his
more modernist lines, in particular the Conoid range of chairs, benches, and
tables, are the best investments. |
A modest free-form dining table of about 6 or 7 feet in the
standard walnut will run about $15,000 to $20,000, with a slightly larger one of
8 or 9 feet, also in walnut, going for about $35,000, according to Wright. A
dining table made with more exotic woods can be had for $40,000 to $50,000, with
an exceptional and large piece going up much higher. “We have a 10-foot English
oak burl single-board table on a Conoid base made of East Indian laurel with all
the bells and whistles, and that is in the $150,000 range” says Aibel. This
table sold for $1,300 when it was first produced in 1968, but less grand
examples might have been bought then for a few hundred dollars. Meanwhile, a
Conoid bench can range in price from $12,000 to $40,000, depending on a number
of variables including provenance and rarity of woods; these sold for around
$350 when they first appeared in 1961.
Yes, Nakashima furniture is probably
a good investment at the moment. But as Wright points out: “First and foremost,
the work is exceptional. There is something that makes it feel very
“right-now”—the handcraft element, a back-to-basics feel that fits very well
into today’s world. People are ready for a softer side of modernism—it can fit
into the starkest interiors, but it has a natural beauty and warmth. And given
that this is still a young field of collecting I think there is a very good
chance of appreciation. You could still buy some of Nakashima’s best work now,
and that probably won’t be possible in 20 years.”
Robert Aibel and Mira Nakashima-Yarnall will present a lecture entitled
“George Nakashima: The Aesthetics of Design” on June 3 at SOFA NYC 2004 (Tiffany
room, 7th Regiment Armory).
It will be followed by a book-signing by
Nakashima-Yarnall. Wright, a Chicago auction house, will hold a modernist
sale with Nakashima pieces on June 6.
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