Herman Miller Noguchi Table

How do I know it's authentic?
Because the Noguchi Table is so popular, there have been a number of knock-offs and flat out intellectual thefts. There are dozens of tables out there professing to be Noguchi's, or merely posing as them, hoping no one asks. But there is only one original, and it's made by Herman Miller. How do you tell?

When the tables are made at Herman Miller manufacturing facilities, they are stamped in two places with unmistakable seals of approval. Along the longest side of the three quarter inch thick pane of glass, you can see the signature of Isamu Noguchi, secured for Herman Miller through the offices and urgings of the Noguchi Foundation. All genuine Noguchi tables made after January 20, 2003 have this signature.

Also in place since January 20, 2003, there is another marker that proves the authenticity of the table. On the underside of the base, there is a medallion. Underneath that medallion, you will find another signature, again that of the creator, Isamu Noguchi.

For all those reasons and more, the Noguchi Table has become a major entry in the canon of modern interior design (you can read more about the Noguchi Table's design story), as opposed to being merely very popular with consumers. Magazines, critics, museums, and other designers have admired it for years, and its list of feature articles, critical appreciations, and museum showings speak for themselves in that regard. The ingenious nature of the design and the curvilinear, graceful sweep of its lines combine to form a functional package with limitless aesthetic appeal. And that appeal extends across generations, tastes, continents, and the work of other great designers.

The table was designed by Isamu Noguchi, who was a Japanese-American sculptor and designer. He left medical school to follow his passion for art and sculpture, and within only a few months he had found widespread success. It's no wonder; his art and his furniture are expert blends of peerless craftsmanship and intelligent, succinct design. In his career he designed radios, the first modern baby monitor, furniture, sculpture, and the sets for theater companies as respected and diverse as the New York Ballet. Briefly imprisoned in a Japanese internment camp during World War II, Noguchi overcame prejudice and a famous instance of intellectual theft (a rival designer stole his ideas for a table that became a big seller) to triumph as an American giant in the fields of interior and industrial design.

It's rare for a sculptural creation (and Isamu Noguchi always considered his furniture just another aspect of sculpture, his first passion ... a famous quote of his was that "Everything is sculpture") to contain as much placid beauty and calm as the Noguchi Table does. It's even more rare that that calm surface is as dramatic and against the grain as the Noguchi Table is. The table is a lovely paradox, a piece of subversive engineering with the smooth edges and assured construction of a much more traditional, staid piece of coffee table furniture. One word that's thrown around quite a bit when discussing the Noguchi Table is "organic." It's a fitting word, and in more ways than one. The design of the table is simple, and relies on simple materials (in fact the very first model was designed using scavenged glass and wood). It's elegant and seems to grow from natural forms. But perhaps the most striking organic part of the design is that, when looked at in one way, it's literally sculpture; literally a depiction of a scene from nature. So what scene? What does the Noguchi Table look like?

The table resembles, most strongly, a lake. It's an organic piece of design in many ways, but not least of which is its close resemblance to nature itself. The scene is that of boats floating on a glass-smooth lake, and its double image. Noguchi arranges the materials and that shapes in such a way that the lake interpretation is almost unavoidable. Each separate piece bears a clear physical resemblance to a real-life counterpart, and they add up to a scene that would have its place in the sketchbook of any impressionist.

The smooth, clear, clean surface of the table is like the calm surface of a lake. That much is obvious. But this table goes deeper. The thickness of the glass creates a reflection against the right kind of flooring material; creating in effect a second lake, a mirror image. This effect is compounded by the support structures that make the piece of glass a table. Each part of the leg structure, which is only two pieces, strongly resembles a canoe, or a boat of some kind. And true to form, they are inverted; one is a reflection of the other. So now we have two lakes, and two canoes; the effect is really complete when we notice the "canoes" are oriented so that each glides atop its own corresponding lake.

Base Finishes
In 1947, you could get a cherry wood base offered for one year only. Also, you could get a Birch Base from 1947-1955. Natural Walnut and Ebonized Walnut were also available. Walnut and Ebony are still offered today. The wood for the walnut base is walnut, the natural cherry is cherry and the black is poplar with a black stain. The dowel connecting the two parts of the base has always been metal.

Noguchi also designed a dinette table, a chess table, a marble top table, a three legged stool, a sofa, and a sofa bench. These pieces were available for only a short time in the years 1949-1951.

"Everything is sculpture," said Isamu Noguchi. "Any material, any idea without hindrance born into space, I consider scuplture."

Noguchi believed the scupltor's task was to shape space, to give it order and meaning, and that art should "disappear" or be as one with its surroundings.

Unwilling and unable to be pigeonholed, Noguchi created sculptures that could be as abstract as Henri Moore's or as realistic as Leonardo's. He used any medium he could get his hands on: stone, metal, wood, clay, bone, paper, or a mixture of any or all--carving, casting, cutting, pounding, chiseling, or dynamiting away as each form took shape.

"To limit yourself to a particular style may make you an expert of that particular viewpoint or school, but I do not wish to belong to any school," he said. "I am always learning, always discovering."

His relationship with Herman Miller came about when one of his designs was used to illustrate an article written by George Nelson called "How to Make a Table." It became his famous "coffee table," and it's as appealing today as it was then. The Noguchi Coffee Table continues to grace living rooms and offices with its sculpted appearance.

Herman Miller is an industry leader in the integration of cutting edge technology to furniture and other household items to make everyday life more comfortable, convenient, and stylish. Herman Miller stands out at the forefront of such fields as ergonomic technologies, environmentally friendly manufacturing processes, and customizable furniture items.

In addition to producing some of the most outstanding office furniture in the world, Herman Miller has also taken on the responsibility of manufacturing some of the most celebrated furniture designs by some of the world's most famous designs. These "modern classics" include works by Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson, and Isamu Noguchi. Herman Miller celebrates these famous mid-century designers' works through its extraordinarily precise manufacturing techniques and industry-leading green production processes.

Herman Miller is a global company with operations, sales offices, dealers, and licensees in more than 40 countries in North America, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, serving customers virtually anywhere in the world. Herman Miller is headquartered in Zeeland, Michigan, while manufacturing facilities are located in the U.S., China, Italy, and the United Kingdom.

Functional Sculpture
A freeform, 3/4-inch plate-glass top rests on two curved, solid wood legs that interlock to form a tripod for self-stabilizing support.

When a piece of furniture is so distinctive and desired, copycats come out of the woodwork. To assure authenticity, the signature of Isamu Noguchi discreetly appears on the edge of the top and on a medallion on the underside of the base; under the medallion, his initials are stamped into the base.

Service includes delivery of high value, large, extremely heavy and or extremely fragile items. Delivery is made inside the first room of your home or business. This service does not include unpacking, assembly or debris removal. Deliveries are generally made within 3-10 days from the time your order ships, and occur Monday through Friday. After hours and weekend deliveries can also be arranged upon request. Day and time specific delivery appointments are required, and someone must be present to receive the order.

Shipping Upgrades:
White Glove: $99 per item

Packaging:
Type: 1 crate
Crate dimensions: 55" x 40" x 7"
Packaged weight: 165 lbs
Assembly required: Very minor assembly required