During his first trip to Tokyo in 1951 and during several more that decade, Nelson became fascinated with all things Japanese. He designed these delicately crafted chests soon after returning from that first visit. The Nelson Chest (1952) echoes Japanese storage chests that typically contain many small drawers. Nelson said he intended them to demonstrate what he liked most about Japanese design: “a sense of fitness in the relationship between hand, material, and shape.” This is an authentic Nelson Chest by Herman Miller.