A Brief History of George Nakashima

George Nakashima was born in 1905 in Spokane, Washington and is widely considered one of the top furniture designers and maker of the 20th Century. After attending the University of Washington and later receiving a Masters degree from M.I.T., Nakashima traveled to France and later to Japan. It was there that he met Antonin Raymond, who is well known for his collaborations with Frank Lloyd Wright and under his tutelage became engaged in the study of Japanese design. After returning to the U.S. in 1940 however, Nakashima’s life took a detour when during World War II, he was put in a Japanese internment camp.

Some would argue that the detour in the camp was not all bad, as this is where Nakashima was first introduced to making furniture and where his passion grew full fledged. While in the camp he studied the art of making furniture with traditional Japanese tools and the techniques used by the grand masters. In 1943, Antonin Raymond came into his life again, he was released from the camp and moved to New Hope, Pennsylvania where he opened his first studio. Nakashima was one of the finest craftsmen of his time and today his works go at auction for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Although he passed away, his work continues through his daughter, Mira Nakashima-Yarnall, who now runs the studio, still situated in New Hope.

Vintage & Antique Game Tables Back in Style

In the good old 1950’s, no home was complete without a table with four matching chairs in the family room or den, where we could all sit around and play games. Whether it was board games like Monopoly or card games, family and friends gathered around and had a good time. Of course, this was all before the advent and meteoric sales of radios and televisions. Although the 1950’s was a good time for the game table, their beginnings go a lot further than that.

In the 18th century, most homes had a game table made for the family room or living room. The most basic of models featured a top that opened and spun to form a square table, however many more game tables were elaborately made using the best and most exotic woods and many were ornately designed. Later models even featured many trimmings including wells for gaming chips and or holders for drinks. However, in the 1900’s game tables lost their popularity.

Fast forward to 2007 and there is now resurgence in the popularity of the game table. Probably because Americans are spending more on finishing their basements and creating elaborate game rooms in their homes. Game tables are now available not only at the local antique shop or flea market, but reproductions are popping up everywhere. Checking the Internet we saw small game tables for just over $300 to more elaborate game tables going for thousands of dollars.

NOVA-Antiques Newsletter Archives – February 16, 2007 . . .

Colonial Furniture Maker Eliphalet Chapin

Eliphalet Chapin was born in 1741 in Massachusetts but studied the craft of furniture making in Philadelphia. Chapin later moved to East Hartford, Connecticut to set up shop, and become the most renowned furniture maker in that state.

Although he was inspired by the Rococo designed furniture of Philadelphia, Chapin’s creations were lighter and cleaner in detail. While other Connecticut furniture makers of the time were making slim and tall furniture, Chapin was creating more compact and stocky furniture. His style is regarded as one of the most elegant of the period with ball and claw feet as well as scrolled pediments and spiral rosettes.

On a past episode of Antiques Roadshow a woman from Oak Hill, Virginia brought in a cherry tea table that she had purchased at an Estate Sale for a mere $200. Appraiser John Hays removed the top and found although the top and base were originals, made by Chapin the surface had been replaced. Even still the tea table was valued at $15,000 - $20,000. Had the surface been original, the tea table would have brought in closer to $50,000.

NOVA-Antiques Newsletters Archive – July 13, 2006 . . . .

Duncan Phyfe Antique Furniture and the Lyre Design

Duncan Phyfe was born in 1768 in Scotland but immigrated to Albany, New York in 1784 to serve as an apprentice in a cabinetmakers shop at the tender age of 16. In 1792 he moved to New York City and opened his own business designing and producing furniture. He is now known as one of the most prolific furniture makers of his time. Borrowing ideas from Thomas Sheraton in England and using simple styles, Phyfe is well known for being one of the leading designers to use the lyre to enhance the beauty of a piece of an otherwise boring piece of furniture, such as a chair or table.

The lyre, sometimes known as a harp, design is nothing more than a representation of the ancient musical instruments that were played as early as the 13th century. Many furniture designers including Phyfe, Sheraton and Hepplewhite used the lyre design on chairs and tables and other furniture. The Lyre Back chair pictured is part of a collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The chair dates from about 1815-1820 and is thought to be only one of 24 produced by Duncan Phyfe. He is considered as good a designer as his predecessors in the field.

Designer & Artist - Charles Eames

Charles Eames was born in 1907 in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1938 he accepted a fellowship at Cranbrook Academy of Art in Cranbrook, Michigan. By 1940 he, along with Eero Saarinen were designing furniture and won a competition at the New York’s Museum of Modern Art. Their work consisted of new and innovative techniques of molding plywood. Besides chairs and other furniture, this team would go on to design splints and stretchers during World War II.

In 1941, Charles married Ray Kaiser, another student at Cranbrook and moved to Los Angeles, California. Together this team went on to design more chairs and other furniture, but are more renowned for designing and building the Eames House, which was constructed on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The house was constructed of prefabricated steel parts and is still considered a milestone of modern architecture. Charles died in St. Louis in 1978 and Ray continued their work until she passed in 1989.

NOVA-Antiques Newsletter Archives, September 29, 2005 . . . .

Michael Thonet - Inventor of Bentwood Rocking Chair

Bentwood rocking chairs were the invention of Michael Thonet, a German born in 1796. He opened his first workshop in an Austrian town in 1819, however it wasn’t until 1830 that he started to produce the bent steamed wood and stunningly sold 50 million chairs in one year. Later, in 1853, he opened the Gebrueder Thonet factory in Vienna, Austria and finally in 1856, he received a patent for the bentwood furniture process.

His sons joined the business and Mr. Thonet passed away in 1871, but by 1900, the Thonet Family had production factories all over Europe. The patent for the process expired in 1869 and many imitations flooded the market. However, it is nice to know that most original Thonet chairs are labeled and marked.

NOVA-Antiques Newsletter Archives September 15, 2005 . . . .