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Nakashima, George George Nakashima was born in Spokane, Washington in 1905 and grew up in the forests of the Olympic Peninsula. He received a Bachelor's Degree in architecture at the University of Washington and a Master's from MIT in 1930, as well as the Prix Fontainebleau from L'Ecole Americaine des Beaux Arts in France. After spending some time in Paris, he traveled around the world and secured a job at the Antonin Raymond office in Tokyo which sent him to Pondicherry, India, where he was the onsite architect for the first reinforced concrete building in that country and became one of the first disciples of Sri Aurobindo. When the war broke out, he returned to the U.S. via Tokyo where he met Marion, married in 1941 and was sent to the camps in Minidoka, Idaho in 1942 with his infant daughter, Mira. Through the sponsorship of Antonin Raymond, Nakashima came to work on his farm in Bucks County, subsequently rented a small house on Aquetong Road and then purchased a parcel of land where he designed and built his workshop and house. Among many awards from the AIA and other prestigious institutions, Nakashima received the Third Order of the Sacred Treasure from the Emperor and Government of Japan in 1983 in recognition of the cultural exchange generated by the shows he produced in Japan from 1968-1988. His last show in the U.S., the retrospective "Full Circle" which opened at the American Craft Museum in New York, sponsored by the American Craft Council and curated by Derek Ostergard, marked him as a "Living Treasure" in the United States. This show returned to New Hope shortly before Nakashima's receiving his final award, Alumnus Summa Laude Dignatus, from the University of Washington one week prior to his death in June 1990.

Nanking Cargo In 1752 a large Dutch trading vessel, the Geldermalsen, sunk into the Atlantic Ocean carrying the largest single shipment of blue and white porcelain ever to leave China. 150,000 pieces of china from this ship were salvaged in 1985 by Captain Michael Hatcher and then sold during a four day sale at Christie's Amsterdam in 1986.

nef The nef, developed during the Middle Ages, is a vessel in the form of a ship that was used at the dining table. Its earliest known use, recorded in 12th century France, was most likely as a drinking vessel and was made of materials other than silver. By the 15th century, the nef was used as a receptacle for salt, goblets, napkins, eating utensil, and meat. By the 16th century, it evolved into an elaborate table ornament, from the form of simple boats to fully and accurately rigged ships often peopled with tiny figures. Nefs were often paraded at feasts in the courts of Europe and given as presents to royalty and aristocracy.

Neo-classic Refers to the second revival of classic design for interior decoration in the 18th century.

nephrite Often called greenstone, nephrite is a creamy greenish colored mineral often used by Faberge.

nesting tables Group of tables, usually three, constructed so that one fits under the other.

niello A black alloy of lead, silver, sulphur, and copper, which is applied to metal and engraved. Source: Antiques Price Guide 2004, Judith Miller ISBN -7894-9550-3

niello A black inlay in a metal surface, typically silver, copper and lead. Developed in ancient Roman times the technique resurged up until the Renaissance in Western Europe and is still common in Eastern Europe, Russia and the Middle East.

Nippon he word Nippon, which can be found stamped on the bottom of Asian china is literally translated as Japan. Fallowing an extended period of commercial isolationism, Japan began production of Nippon porcelain for export to the United States in 1865. When the United States enacted the McKinley Tariff act in 1921 prohibiting the import of items that were not plainly marked, stamped, branded or labeled in legible English words, the Nippon designation was no longer used. Although Japan has been manufacturing fine porcelain wares for centuries, Nippon china was produced solely for consumption by the West. In an effort to accommodate Western consumers the Japanese government commissioned experts from the west to teach their craftsmen European techniques. The skillful artists of Japan mastered the western styles and were able to produce pieces with stunning similarities to their western counterparts. The majority of Nippon china has been painstakingly hand-painted and intricately decorated that the Japanese considered garish. During the Meiji period (1868-1912), Nippon porcelain was often adorned with gold ornamentation. The gold embellishment used during this era proved to be fragile and has often been lost over the years. Multiple Nippon marks were used, which represents the work of the many porcelain manufacturers working in Japan at the time. Some of these marks, particularly the M-wreath back stamp, represent the predecessor of Noritake, another famous Japanese porcelain producer.