
Serpentine SofaBy Vladimir Kagan
The voluptuous contours of Vladimir Kagan's (1927–2016) 1950 Serpentine sofa were designed to bring people together.
The S-shaped piece provided both flexible group seating on an armless form as well as a focal point for mid-century entertaining. Unlike most sofas, this one was not designed to be pushed against a wall. Also, people were not supposed to sit on the Serpentine in a row. Rather, the sofa presided over the center of the room as a swoosh of plush seating. The original design included casters so it could easily be maneuvered around for a party or to provide a better view of new art on the walls.
Born in Germany, Kagan’s interest in furniture began with his father, a Russian master cabinetmaker. Following the rise of the Nazis, a young Kagan immigrated to the United States in 1938 and shortly thereafter enrolled as an architecture student at Columbia University. Nearly 15 years later, Kagan opened his first furniture company. His concept of modern living was featured in the furniture designs at the Monsanto House of the Future, which was on view at Disneyland from 1957 to 1967.
Upholstered in inviting materials, such as seductively hued velvet and Alcantara, Kagan’s furniture demonstrated how modernism could be beguiling even while breaking with the rigid norms of the past. Reflecting the biomorphic shapes in art and sculpture that such creators as Isamu Noguchi promoted as well as celebrating Scandinavian design, each piece was made for both comfort and form in its organic shape.
Serpentine Sofa
1990s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Chrome
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Lucite, Mohair
1990s American Modern Sofas
Fabric
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Alpaca, Lucite
Early 2000s American Modern Sofas
Wool
Vintage 1970s Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Suede
1990s American Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
Upholstery
Early 2000s American Modern Sofas
Suede
1990s American Organic Modern Sofas
Wool, Cotton, Foam, Lucite
1990s Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Upholstery
Vintage 1980s American Post-Modern Sofas
Fabric
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Upholstery, Wood
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Upholstery, Wood
1990s Post-Modern Sofas
Fabric
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Fabric
2010s American Modern Sofas
Ultrasuede
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Canapes
Fabric, Bouclé, Upholstery, Lucite
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Sectional Sofas
Bouclé, Walnut
1990s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Upholstery, Lucite
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Upholstery, Lucite
21st Century and Contemporary American Post-Modern Sofas
Upholstery
Vintage 1980s American Sofas
Upholstery, Wood, Bentwood
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Fabric
Late 20th Century American Post-Modern Sofas
Upholstery
Vintage 1950s Sofas
Fabric
Early 2000s American Modern Sofas
Suede
Early 2000s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Mohair, Walnut
1990s Modern Sofas
Mohair
Vintage 1980s American Post-Modern Sofas
Textile
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Velvet
2010s American Modern Sofas
Ultrasuede
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Fabric
1990s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Bouclé
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Wool, Velvet
Vintage 1980s American Post-Modern Sofas
Fabric
1990s American Organic Modern Sofas
Upholstery, Lucite
Early 2000s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Fabric, Bouclé, Wood
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Mohair
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Upholstery
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Upholstery, Lucite
Early 2000s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Alpaca, Bouclé, Wood, Maple
Late 20th Century American Post-Modern Sofas
Fabric
Vintage 1970s Unknown Post-Modern Sofas
Bouclé
Vintage 1980s American Modern Sofas
Bouclé, Lucite



