Arthur Espenet Carpenter Furniture
The San Francisco area woodworker Arthur Espenet Carpenter was one of the most celebrated figures in the postwar American Studio Furniture movement. Like George Nakashima, Sam Maloof, Wendell Castle and other craftsmen of the era, Carpenter built furniture both as a means of creative expression and for the simple personal fulfillment of making a thing well. The excellence of their work stood in high relief against the mass-produced goods made of synthetic materials that became prevalent in the mid-20th century.
Born in New York City during the Jazz Age, Carpenter earned a degree in economics from Dartmouth College and initially intended to become an accountant, like his father. But after serving four years in the United States Navy in the Pacific during World War II, Carpenter had a change of heart about entering the business world. Back in New York, he became an Asian-arts dealer but finally found a true sense of direction when visiting the “Good Design” shows held in that era at the Museum of Modern Art. Carpenter was particularly taken with the hand-turned wooden bowls by James Prestini and decided he wanted to make objects himself.
To get far from New York, he drove to San Francisco at age 28, bought a lathe and, with the help of a G.I. Bill small-business stipend, opened a woodworking shop in the Mission District. Carpenter started out making bowls, sold through local high-end retailers such as Geary’s. His skills improved, and within a few years Carpenter had moved to the coastal town of Bolinas, California, where he built furniture on commission. His national reputation was sealed when in 1972 — somewhat to Carpenter’s own surprise — his designs were shown by the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery in the exhibition “Woodworks,” alongside those of Nakashima, Maloof, Castle and the Philadelphia-area craftsman Wharton Esherick.
Carpenter defined a new design aesthetic now known as the “California roundover” — a style characterized by flowing lines and gently-contoured edges that make wood feel almost supple to the touch. The graceful and comfortable Wishbone chair, so named for the tapered supports that form its legs, is Carpenter’s signature design. The chairs, typically made of black walnut, are usually priced in the range of $20,000 a piece. Because of its simplicity and economy of materials, Carpenter’s furniture works well in any informal, unfussy decor — though it is particularly striking in a modern environment. As you will see on these pages, the work of Arthur Espenet Carpenter is both friendly and exquisite. The quality of its craftsmanship is impeccable, and it exudes the gentle warmth of the lovingly handmade object.
1980s American American Craftsman Vintage Arthur Espenet Carpenter Furniture
Leather, Walnut
1970s American American Craftsman Vintage Arthur Espenet Carpenter Furniture
Walnut
1980s American American Craftsman Vintage Arthur Espenet Carpenter Furniture
Ebony, Mahogany
1970s American American Craftsman Vintage Arthur Espenet Carpenter Furniture
Wood, Leather
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Arthur Espenet Carpenter Furniture
Leather
1970s American Vintage Arthur Espenet Carpenter Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Arthur Espenet Carpenter Furniture
Leather, Walnut
1980s American Modern Vintage Arthur Espenet Carpenter Furniture
Walnut
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Arthur Espenet Carpenter Furniture
Teak
1970s American American Craftsman Vintage Arthur Espenet Carpenter Furniture
Walnut
1980s American American Craftsman Vintage Arthur Espenet Carpenter Furniture
Ebony, Mahogany
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Arthur Espenet Carpenter Furniture
Cane, Mahogany
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Arthur Espenet Carpenter Furniture
Brass, Elm
1980s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Arthur Espenet Carpenter Furniture
Upholstery, Brass
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Arthur Espenet Carpenter Furniture
Leather, Chrome
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Arthur Espenet Carpenter Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Arthur Espenet Carpenter Furniture
Canvas, Cord, Wrought Iron
1970s European Modern Vintage Arthur Espenet Carpenter Furniture
Leather
1980s French Brutalist Vintage Arthur Espenet Carpenter Furniture
Leather, Iron
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Arthur Espenet Carpenter Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Arthur Espenet Carpenter Furniture
Stainless Steel, Leather, Lucite
1960s Vintage Arthur Espenet Carpenter Furniture
20th Century American Arthur Espenet Carpenter Furniture
Oak
1990s American Organic Modern Arthur Espenet Carpenter Furniture
1980s American Vintage Arthur Espenet Carpenter Furniture
1960s Vintage Arthur Espenet Carpenter Furniture
Walnut