George Nakashima

Meredith Weatherby, Tokyo, circa 1968

Odakyu HALC, Tokyo, March 1968

Overall in excellent condition. This is a superb design and very rare work created by Nakashima. This piece was included in the first “Odakyu” exhibition in Tokyo. From this exhibition, model such as the “Odakyu” wall divider were developed and made available to US clients. This “Weatherbee” table, however, never appeared in the Nakashima catalogue and only a few examples are known to exist. This table is executed completely in English oak burl. The top has a beautiful figuring and the underside is a simply stunning in person. The rough burl underside with only a few minor chips, none of which are not visible once the table is righted. The slanted board which comprises the base of the table, with a small crack measuring approximately one inch in length starting at the top of the joint. This is a rare opportunity to acquire an extraordinary table with superb provenance and significance in the career of George Nakashima.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This end table was designed and produced by George Nakashima for his very first show at Odakyu Halc in Shinjuku, Tokyo in 1968. All the wood for this initial show was sent over from Nakashima's collection in Pennsylvania, and this was one of the rare three-dimensional English Oak Burls personally purchased in London and milled by Nakashima himself. Purchased by Meredith ("Tex") Weatherby, editor-in-chief of Tokyo's Weatherhill book publishing company, the table was named "Weatherbee" in his honor, but very few were subsequently made. Mr. Weatherby was a friend of Masayuki Nagare, founder of the "Minguren" group which Nakashima joined in 1964, and lived on the same property as Marion Nakashima's older sister Thelma in Tokyo.

The original drawing remains in the offices of Sakura Seisakusho's Nakashima Memorial Gallery in Takamatsu, Japan, where George Nakashima designed and built the furniture for all of his shows in Japan.
--Mira Nakashima