Coffee table, model IN-50
designed (c. 1944)
Medium
Walnut (Juglans sp.), glass, aluminium
Measurements
(a-b) 40.0 × 127.5 × 91.3 cm (overall)
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Ursula Jacobs Bequest, 2021
© Isamu Noguchi / Licensed by Copyright Agency, Australia
Gallery location
Mid 20th Century Paintings & Decorative Arts Gallery
Level 2, NGV International
About this work
In 1947 Noguchi began a collaboration with the furniture company Herman Miller who produced his Coffee table, IN-50, lauded for its sculptural yet functional qualities. It is now regarded as an icon of twentieth-century design and remains in production. Coffee table, IN-50 reflects Noguchi’s sensibility for organic, rounded forms and his desire to bring sculpture into people’s everyday lives. George Nelson, a designer in his own right and design director at Herman Miller from 1947–72, described the table as ‘one of the most economical pieces of furniture I have ever seen’.
Artwork Details
Place/s of Execution
Zeeland, Michigan, United States
Accession Number
2021.15
Department
International Decorative Arts