Nelson Miniature Chests

Overview

Nelson Miniature Chests are compact solid-wood storage pieces designed by George Nelson after his first visit to Tokyo in 1951. Their many small drawers refer to Japanese tansu, while the current range offers horizontal six-drawer and vertical nine-drawer forms.

Construction

The drawers are individually hand-fitted and run on wood-on-wood glides. Current versions use sustainable veneers and finishing processes, with three wood choices and optional metal pedestal bases.

Representative dimensions

The horizontal six-drawer chest with pedestal base is 30.25 inches wide, 13 inches deep, and 26.25 inches high. A version without the base is 6 inches high.

From Tokyo to a miniature chest

Herman Miller records that George Nelson first travelled to Tokyo in 1951 and designed the chests soon after his return. The many small drawers echo tansu, the mobile storage chests Nelson encountered through his interest in Japanese design.

Release and return

The official design story says the pieces were originally released in 1952 as part of the Rosewood Group. That is an original production and release date, not a separately stated design year. The reissued chests preserve the original form while using updated veneers and finishing processes.