Aug 5, 2019
During ANTIQUES ROADSHOW’s 2004 event in Memphis, Tennessee, a guest named Cindy brought in what she believed could be a George Nakashima table. Although the table’s irregular shape and cypress material alluded to the maker being Nakashima himself, upon closer look, Decorative Arts & Furniture appraiser Karen Keane noted one big giveaway that the table was not designed by the Japanese craftsman.
Keane pointed out that two pieces of metal were holding a natural piece of wood together – an element that was not a part of Nakashima’s style. Keane explained:
“Now, it is not the kind of construction that we would see Nakashima making. We would have expected him to make a beautiful…what’s called “Dutchman” in cabinetry, and it would be a butterfly hinge – it would look like an hourglass or butterfly wings. And he would have held the two pieces of wood breaking apart together with that.”
But what exactly does a “butterfly hinge” or "joint" look like? ROADSHOW found an example on a 1988 George Nakashima Canoid Bench in Green Bay back in 2017.
See the butterfly joint below!
Pictured: A metal joint that would not have been used by George Nakashima, which was seen during ROADSHOW's Memphis, Hour 3 episode in 2004.
