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Grass-seated Chair

Artist George Nakashima American, born in Japan, 1905–1990

Date1944

Mediumwood and sea grass twine

Dimensions61 × 71.1 × 50.8 cm (24 × 28 × 20 in.)

ClassificationsFurniture

Credit LineGift in memory of Gustav D. Klimann and Joan Peterson Klimann

Object number2022.67.2

Label TextThis chair merges the aesthetic simplicity of 20th-century modernism
with traditional Japanese woodworking. A student of forestry,
architecture, and design and a world traveler, Nakashima endeavored
to establish his own furniture studio before World War II. In 1941,
however, he and his family were among thousands of Japanese
Americans imprisoned in camps operated by the United States
government. During his internment in Idaho, he met master carpenter
Gentaro Hikogawa (1902–1963), who tutored him in traditional
Japanese techniques. Following his release, Nakashima moved to New
Hope, Pennsylvania, where he produced this iconic design. The chair
features hand-turned legs and spindles and a hand-woven seat made
from sea grass, emphasizing his dedication to craft.

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