Image source: Herman Miller — Noguchi Rudder Table
© Herman Miller and the respective rights holders. Quoted to accompany INTEBEE's independent design commentary and research.
Noguchi Rudder Table
Noguchi's 1944 asymmetric table, balanced on two steel loops and one wood rudder.
1264 × 400 × 908 mm
1944
Official product information
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Overview
Isamu Noguchi designed the Rudder Table in 1944, and Herman Miller introduced it for sale in 1949. The asymmetric coffee table pairs one wooden support with two metal hairpin legs.
Construction
A veneered plywood top and rudder-shaped wood leg are combined with two Trivalent chrome steel supports. Current finishes are Walnut, Ebony on Maple, and White Ash.
Specifications
The table measures 49.75 in wide, 35.75 in deep, and 15.75 in high and has a listed weight of 12 lb.
Story
Designed before its 1949 introduction
Herman Miller distinguishes the two dates in its product story: Noguchi designed the Rudder series in 1944, and the company introduced it for sale in 1949. The original series also included dining-height tables and stools.
An asymmetrical balance
The design uses one broad wood element and two narrow steel loops rather than matching legs. Herman Miller describes the resulting composition as asymmetrical yet balanced and identifies the wood support's resemblance to a ship's rudder as the source of the product name.
More by Isamu Noguchi
Dining Table
Noguchi's round dining table: a wire-rod base on a cast iron ring, with a laminate top in two sizes
Coffee Table
Noguchi's 1944 glass-top table on two interlocking wooden legs, in walnut, maple or black ash
Cyclone Dining Table
Isamu Noguchi's 1957 dining table on a column of chrome-plated steel wires and a cast-iron foot
Cyclone Side Table
Isamu Noguchi's 1954 small Cyclone table on a column of chrome-plated steel wires, 24 in across