Nakashima's Minguren coffee table to make $150,000?

A Minguren II coffee table by George Nakashima is to headline a design auction at Sotheby's New York on December 18 with a $100,000-150,000 valuation.

The Modern Design Visionaries sale will see the auction of the Yurcik Collection, amassed by Joseph and Sheila Yurcik in the 1990s.

Minguren bench Nakashima
 Nakashima produced the Minguren II bench in 1980

Nakashima (1905-1990) was one of the most significant carpenters of the 20th century and a leading member of the American Arts and Crafts movement.

Along with many other Japanese-Americans, he was imprisoned in an internment camp in Idaho after the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941.

It was here that he met Gentaro Hikogara, a cabinet maker versed in the Japanese woodworking tradition, leading to the development of his idiosyncratic approach to furniture design.

The record for his work was set in 2006 for a redwood burl and black walnut dining table, designed for Arthur and Evelyn Krosnick, which sold for $822,400 at Sotheby's New York.

In October of this year a Nakashima walnut bench made $71,297 at a sale at Piasa in Paris.

Sculpture Front Cabinet (1969) by Paul Evans (1931-1987) is valued at $100,000-150,000.

Paul Evans cabinet
The cabinet was made at Evans' studio in New Hope, Pennsylvania

Evans' metal-sculpted furniture draws from the American craft tradition in its emphasis on the furniture as a functional sculpture.

His limited edition, handmade pieces used unconventional, industrial materials including steel, bronze and welded aluminium that pushed the boundaries of furniture design.

His work grew in popularity throughout the 1950s and 1960s, and he exhibited widely during his lifetime, including at the Museum of Art and Crafts in New York.

Sign up to our free newsletter for the latest on art and other collectibles.



Recent and related articles

Patrick Heron's Grey and Yellow (With Circle) to lead Sotheby's Abstraction sale | 3 December 2013

Chinese Ruyao-type vase could make $150,000 at Bonhams | 3 December 2013

Ansel Adams' Moon and Half Dome will lead December 12 sale | 2 December 2013


Your collecting

View our stock items for sale  |  Portfolios for sale


Guides and analysis

Investing in Art  |  10 reasons to invest in collectibles  |  Which asset is right for you?


www.paulfrasercollectibles.com

Images: Sotheby's

Featured products

Elvis Presley Authentic Strand of Hair
Elvis Presley Authentic Strand of Hair
Sale price£399
In stock
Fidel Castro signed certificateFidel Castro Signed Certificate
Fidel Castro signed certificate
Sale price£2,995
In stock
King Henry VIII Autographed DocumentKing Henry VIII Autographed Document
King Henry VIII Autographed Document
Sale price£55,000
In stock