George Nakashima 'Minguren II' Coffee Table in English Walnut

The Minguren II coffee table was developed in the mid-1960s in connection with George Nakashima’s work in Japan and his collaboration with Japanese sculptor Masayuki Nagare. Nagare was the founder of Minguren (“People’s Tool Guild”), a collective of designer-craftsmen formed to sustain traditional Japanese craft practices while adapting them for contemporary design. The present coffee table is a Minguren II model, custom made in 1973. Executed in English walnut – a rarely used material within his practice – the table emphasizes the distinctive character of the slab through its free-flowing edges. This approach highlights the natural qualities of the wood and lends the design a dynamic, unrestrained presence. It marks a departure from industrial mass production and aligns with a philosophy focused on revealing the “soul of the tree” through honest materials, skilled labor, and functional objects shaped by human hands. The free-form top contrasts elegantly with the base’s stark simplicity, a hallmark of Nakashima’s work that reflects both nature’s order and the maker’s hand. During this period, New Hope formed the home port for many great designers such as Phillip Lloyd Powell and Paul Evans.