The (not so) secret history of the Noguchi Table

Renowned for its minimalist beauty, the Noguchi Coffee Table has an intriguing history—a story of artistic inspiration, appropriation, and Noguchi's determination to bring his unique vision to life, establishing the table as a lasting icon of modern design.

Isamu Noguchi (1904–1988) was a visionary Japanese-American artist, sculptor, and designer celebrated for his contributions to modern art and design. Known for his organic forms, Noguchi’s work blended Eastern and Western influences, reflecting his unique multicultural background and global perspective. His creations spanned a wide array of mediums — sculpture, architecture, landscape design, and furniture — all united by a commitment to simplicity, fluidity, and balance.

Among his most enduring and celebrated designs is a coffee table so popular that even without knowing the name, the designer, or this story - you’re likely to recognise. Renowned for its minimalist beauty, the Noguchi Coffee Table has an intriguing history—a story of artistic inspiration, internment, appropriation, and Noguchi's determination to bring his unique vision to life, establishing the table as a lasting icon of modern design.

The son of a Japanese poet and an American writer, Isamu Noguchi was born in Los Angeles in 1904. He spent much of his childhood in Japan alongside his mother before returning to the states in his teenage years. After abandoning a pre-med program at Columbia University, the young Noguchi went on to take sculpting classes on New York’s Lower East Side – a discipline that would eventually define his career. It was a career moulded by a Guggenheim Fellowship and extensive travels across Europe, Asia and Latin America. Noguchi worked for Brancusi in Paris, designed sets for Martha Graham in New York and studied pottery in Japan.

In 1939, at the request of A. Conger Goodyear, president of the Museum of Modern Art, Noguchi created his first table – a custom coffee table now known as the Goodyear Table. And it is here the story of the iconic Noguchi Coffee Table begins. Noguchi submitted a similar design in response to a request (for a coffee table for the home) from British furniture designer T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, but never received a reply.

“I thought of it as a sculpture that was a table. After all, you can say that the earth is a table. We feast upon it. You can also say that it is utilitarian, this earth. Or you can say that it is something else.”
Isamu Noguchi

In 1941, Pearl Harbour was attacked and a backlash and unjust internment followed for Japanese Americans. Affected by this deeply, Noguchi turned to political activism and in 1942 he left New York for voluntary internment at the Colorado River Relocation Center(sic) internment camp. The artist had hoped to teach arts and crafts to help improve conditions in the camp but found his suggestions ignored and his supplies withheld.

One perk he was permitted were deliveries of creative magazines and it was in one of these that Noguchi stumbled across an ad for a table similar to his design, mass-produced by none other than Robsjohn-Gibbings, without credit or compensation.

“When, on my return, I remonstrated, he said anybody could make a three-legged table..In revenge, I made my own variant of my own table.” - Isamu Noguchi (from his autobiography).

The “variant” that Noguchi designed was used to illustrate an article, written by Herman Miller designer George Nelson, called “How to Make a Table.” The table in the illustration became his famous “Noguchi Coffee Table” and in 1947 it went into production and went on to become a huge success. Noguchi named the table after himself, of course, eliminating the possibility of anyone forgetting who had designed it.

"When, on my return, I remonstrated, he said anybody could make a three-legged table..In revenge, I made my own variant of my own table."
Isamu Noguchi (from his autobiography)

Where did the original Goodyear Table end up?

The Goodyear Table, designed in 1939 for A. Conger Goodyear, then President of the Museum of Modern Art, last sold at auction in 2014 for a staggering $4.45 million. Though not confirmed it is claimed that the anonymous telephone buyer was Wal-Mart heiress and Crystal Bridges Museum founder Alice Walton.

Is the Noguchi Coffee Table still in production?

The table is currently produced by Herman Miller in the USA with German-Swiss design powerhouse Vitra holding the licence to manufacture the table in Europe. The Noguchi Coffee Table is available to purchase online and in-store at Utility.

How to know if your Noguchi is authentic?

The status of an “original” is determined by the relationship between the designer (or their rightful heirs) and the manufacturer of the products. This is not only a legal component to the relationship but also an immaterial one based on shared ideals and collaboration.

For any product to be designated an “original”, the designer must have authorised the manufacturer to produce it. In Europe, the sole manufacturer with permission to produce the Noguchi Coffee Table is Vitra.

Any supplier who has not earned this right, will not have had the close cooperation of the Eames Office during every step of the product development, and as such, there will always be uncertainty about the degree to which the copy deviates from the original idea.

In order to tell the difference between a real and a replica, you can keep an eye out for a few things:

The Noguchi Signature

Since 2002 all of the coffee tables produced by Vitra feature the designers signature and the words “Vitra Design Museum” engraved on the glass top.

In the US, coffee tables produced in the last 20 years feature a medallion on the base that features the Herman Miller logo and Noguchi signature.

Earlier versions of the coffee table did not bear any markings. It thus takes great provenance or an expert eye to appropriately assess early examples.

Dimensions

To get around copyright laws, certain manufacturers of “replicas” change just enough about a design to allow it to pass the stringent rules that have been put in place. As a result, what you’ll often see is that the product dimensions are different than the originals. The result is a table that can often look out of proportion or clunky.

The Price Tag

Authentic Noguchi Tables are made from premium quality materials and the price reflects this. They’re built to be used, enjoyed and loves for generations.

The Utility Guarantee

As an official stockist, all Vitra products sold by Utility are licensed originals. You will never find a replica or a copy at Utility, so if purchased through us, you can rest easy in the knowledge that you’ve invested in a true original.