'Minguren II ' Low Table, 1975

The present lot was commissioned directly from George Nakashima by Claire Freeman, an acclaimed folk artist from Bethesda, Maryland. Claire was a self-taught, multi-disciplinary artist who worked in interior design, clothes making, printmaking and painting, exhibiting her artworks depicting American life widely throughout the 1980s. Claire was inspired by life in America, pastoral scenes of outdoor activities, beaches and landscapes as well as urban scenes of row houses and parks. The works are aligned with the American folk-art traditions, with compositions that include dozens of people, pattern, bold color and graphic treatment of images. Claire Freeman was included in the United States Department of State Art in Embassies program, with her art adorning embassies in Portugal and Botswana in 1989, contributing to the diversity and diverse culture of America as projected by diplomatic efforts around the world. Claire exhibited her art at the Arlington Art Center, Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington, D.C., among others, achieving honors from the Maryland State Arts Council and the Montgomery County Arts Council Grant program. Claire befriended George Nakashima in 1975, carefully choosing the present expressive slab of wood to create an exceptional custom coffee table which has remained in her family collection ever since.