148
148
George Nakashima monographs, eleven
George Nakashima monographs, eleven
bound printed paper
estimate: $500–700
result: $17,780
provenance: Collection of James Zemaitis
This work will ship from Chicago, Illinois.
Complete Lot Details
Fine Woodworking, No. 14, 1979. Provenance: Daniel Loomis Valenza. Contents include John Kelsey’s seven-page article “George Nakashima: For each plank there’s one perfect use,” the only significant published account on the economics of Nakashima’s workshop.—JZ Minor tear to the top of the stapled binding. Minor stains to the top right corner. Marked in pen “DV Extra.”
The Soul of a Tree: A Woodworker’s Reflections George Nakashima, Kodansha, USA, 2011. 224 pages, Softcover with dustjacket. First American edition of the 1981 publication. Introduction by Dr. George Wald.
George Nakashima Full Circle Derek E. Ostegard, American Craft Museum, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, New York, USA, 1989. 192 pages, Hardcover with dustjacket. The first and only major museum retrospective on Nakashima’s career.—JZ Minor wear to the dustjacket along the bottom edges, with birthday inscription to the previous owner, 1989.
George Nakashima and the Modernist Moment Steven Beyer, James A. Michener Art Museum, Bucks County, USA, 2001. 80 pages, Softcover. First edition with essay by Matilda McQuaid. Exhibition focused on Nakashima's midcentury production (1940s -1960s), juxtaposing designs by Prouvé, Perriand, Mollino, Noll and others.—JZ
Nature Form & Spirit: The Life and Legacy of George Nakashima Mira Nakashima, Abrams, New York, USA, 2003. 276 pages, Hardcover with dustjacket.
New Life for the Noble Tree: The Dr. Arthur & Evelyn Krosnick Collection of Masterworks by George Nakashima, Sotheby's, New York, 12/15/2006. Hardcover. Extremely rare hardcover edition for friends and family. The most satisfying auction of my career. The Krosnick collection in Princeton was assembled over many years, tragically destroyed in a fire, then rebuilt by George and Mira Nakashima near the end of the Master’s life. Featuring the “Arlyn” Table, made for the 1989 Full Circle exhibition, which achieved a world record price of $822,400, yet to be eclipsed.—JZ
Nakashima Revealed: The Carnegie Mellon Collection Rachel Delphia, Regina Gouger Miller Gallery, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA, 2007. 44 pages, Softcover. First edition.
Nakashima at NID Tanishka Kachru, Adira Thekkuveettil, National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. 125 pages, Softcover. First edition.
Uncrating the Japanese House: Junzo Yoshimura, Antonin and Noemi Raymond and George Nakashima Yuka Yokoyama and William Whitaker, Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia, August Editions, 2022. 160 pages, Hardcover. First edition. Already scarce.—JZ
George Nakashima Woodworkers Process Book Mira Nakashima, 2023. 108 pages, Softcover with dustjacket. First edition, together with a January 2024 price list.
Curated: The Library and Design
Collection of James Zemaitis
At the intersection of scholarship and connoisseurship lies Curated: The Design and Library of James Zemaitis—an offering that reflects a career spent exploring, documenting, and shaping the discourse around modern and contemporary design. This carefully assembled selection includes both a compelling group of design works and a rich library of publications that have guided and inspired James Zemaitis throughout his decades in the field.
As Director of Museum Relations at R & Company since 2016, James has played a central role in developing exhibitions and fostering institutional partnerships. His recent curatorial projects, including Born Too Tall: California Women Designers, Postwar to Postmodern, demonstrate a thoughtful and inclusive approach to design history. Prior to his time at R & Company, James held leadership positions at Sotheby’s and Phillips, producing over fifty design sales and helping shape the trajectory of the postwar and contemporary design market.
This collection reflects James’s deep engagement with the material and intellectual history of design. The included library—rich with foundational texts, rare catalogues, and scholarly references—provides a rare window into the ideas and research that have underpinned his work as a curator, advisor, and educator.
This auction brings together design and scholarship in a way that reflects a lifetime of passion and purpose. We are honored to invite collectors, curators, and enthusiasts alike to discover a collection shaped by insight, research, and enduring care.