Vladimir Kagan Curved Serpentine Cloud Sofa for Directional
View Similar Items
Vladimir Kagan Curved Serpentine Cloud Sofa for Directional
About the Item
- Creator:Directional (Maker),Vladimir Kagan (Designer)
- Design:
- Dimensions:Height: 29 in (73.66 cm)Width: 95 in (241.3 cm)Depth: 48 in (121.92 cm)Seat Height: 17.5 in (44.45 cm)
- Style:Modern (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1990
- Condition:Reupholstered. Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Costa Mesa, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU922021493762
Serpentine Sofa
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.
Vladimir Kagan
The pioneers of modern furniture design in America in the mid-20th century all had their moments of flamboyance: Charles and Ray Eames produced the startling, biomorphic La Chaise; George Nelson’s firm created the Marshmallow sofa; Edward Wormley had his decadent Listen to Me chaise. But no designer of the day steadily offered works with more verve and dynamism than Vladimir Kagan. While others, it seems, designed with suburban households in mind, Kagan aimed to suit the tastes of young, sophisticated city-dwellers. With signature designs that feature sleekly curved frames and others that have dramatic out-thrust legs, Kagan made furniture sexy.
Kagan’s father was a Russian master cabinetmaker who took his family first to Germany (where Vladimir was born) and then to New York in 1938. After studying architecture at Columbia University, Kagan opened a design firm at age 22 and immediately made a splash with his long, low and sinuous Serpentine sofa. Furniture lines such as the Tri-symmetric group of glass-topped, three-legged tables and the vivacious Contours chairs soon followed.
Kagan’s choices of form and materials evolved through subsequent decades, embracing lucite, aluminum and burl-wood veneers. By the late 1960s, Kagan was designing austere, asymmetrical cabinets and his Omnibus group of modular sofas and chairs. For all his aesthetic élan, Kagan said that throughout his career, his touchstone was comfort. “A lot of modern furniture was not comfortable. And so comfort is: form follows function. The function was to make it comfortable,” he once commented. “I created what I called vessels for the human body.”
A diverse group of bodies have made themselves at home with Kagan designs. Among the famous names who commissioned and collected his designs are Marilyn Monroe, Gary Cooper, Andy Warhol, David Lynch, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, and firms such as Gucci and Giorgio Armani. His work is in numerous museum collections, including those of the Victoria & Albert and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Because of its idiosyncrasy, Kagan’s work did not lend itself to mass-production. Kagan never signed on with any of the major furniture-making corporations, and examples of his designs are relatively rare. As you will see from the offerings on 1stDibs, even decades after their conception, Kagan pieces still command the eye, with their freshness, energy, sensuality and wit.
- Vladimir Kagan Drop Leaf Console / Dining Table for Kagan-Dreyfuss, circa 1949By Kagan-Dreyfuss, Inc., Vladimir KaganLocated in Costa Mesa, CAVladimir Kagan Drop Leaf Console / Dining Table for Kagan-Dreyfuss, Inc. United States, circa 1949. literature: The Complete Kagan: Vladimir Kagan A Lifetime of Avant-Garde Design...Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Console Tables
MaterialsWalnut
$20,000 Sale Price20% Off - Børge Mogensen Oak Sofa for Fredericia Stolefabrik, Denmark, c.1965By Børge Mogensen, Fredericia StolefabrikLocated in Costa Mesa, CABørge Mogensen Oak Sofa for Fredericia Stolefabrik, Denmark, c.1965. Retains the makers label to the bottom.Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsFabric, Oak
- Mid Century American Modern Dresser, United States, c.1955By Vladimir KaganLocated in Costa Mesa, CAMid Century American Modern Stained Maple Chest of Drawers, United States, c.1955Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsBrass
$1,875 Sale Price25% Off - Antonio Citterio "Domus" Wall Unit for B&B Italia, circa 1995By B&B Italia, Antonio CitterioLocated in Costa Mesa, CAAntonio Citterio "Domus" wall unit for B&B Italia, circa 1995.Category
20th Century Italian Modern Shelves
MaterialsAluminum
$3,192 Sale Price74% Off - Jens Quistgaard Rosewood Box for Dansk, Denmark, c.1960By Jens Quistgaard, DanskLocated in Costa Mesa, CAJens Quistgaard Lidded Rosewood Box for the Dansk Rare Wood Collection, Denmark, c.1960.Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Decorative Boxes
MaterialsWood
- Evelyn Ackerman Tapestry for ERA Industries USA, 1962By Evelyn Ackerman, Era IndustriesLocated in Costa Mesa, CAEvelyn Ackerman Tapestry for ERA Industries USA, 1962. Signed EA.Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Tapestries
MaterialsWool
- Cloud Serpentine Sofa by Vladimir Kagan for DirectionalBy Directional, Vladimir KaganLocated in Chicago, ILc. 1980s. Reupholstered in charcoal fabric. Lucite leg on bottom in the middle. Tagged. A classic of postmodern design.Category
Vintage 1980s American Post-Modern Sofas
MaterialsFabric
- Vladimir Kagan Serpentine Sofa, DirectionalBy Vladimir Kagan, DirectionalLocated in Raleigh, NCExpertly restored with new mohair upholstery on this iconic sofa. A classic designed by Vladimir Kagan and manufactured by Directional.Category
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsUpholstery
- Vintage Brass "Serpentine" Sofa After Vladimir Kagan for DirectionalBy Vladimir Kagan, DirectionalLocated in North Hollywood, CAA stunning vintage "Serpentine" sofa after Vladimir Kagan for Directional. The sofa feature two brass bases and a distinctive curved frame that give this piece a delightful sculptura...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsBrass
- Cloud Sofa by Vladimir Kagan for DirectionalBy Vladimir KaganLocated in Westport, CTCloud Sofa by Vladimir Kagan, a true emblem of 1970s design, meticulously restored to its original glory by Stamford Modern. This iconic piece exudes a sense of relaxed luxury, embod...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsVelvet, Lucite, Walnut
- Stunning Pair Vladimir Kagan Serpentine Directional Cloud Sofas Mid-CenturyBy Vladimir KaganLocated in Pemberton, NJFabulous pair of Vladimir Kagan cloud serpentine sofas made by Directional. These pair retain their original periwinkle blue ultra-suede fabric in nice vintage condition-some wear sp...Category
1990s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsUpholstery, Lucite
- Vladimir Kagan Style Serpentine Cloud SofaBy Vladimir KaganLocated in Providence, RISerpentine sofa design often attributed to the late Vladimir Kagan. No manufacturers tags. Original upholstery, shows wear. Recommended to be replaced.Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsFabric
$4,865 Sale Price30% Off
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
A Short History of the World’s Most Iconic Designs
Of the million-plus items on 1stdibs, some seem to have transcended time, looking as fresh today as when they were first produced. The pieces highlighted on our new Iconic Designs page stand out for longevity, functionality and quality of design and manufacture — just the tonic for the present unsettled moment.
Martyn Lawrence Bullard Welcomes You to the Hotel Californian
A Spanish Colonial Revival gem in the heart of Santa Barbara has been reborn as a luxurious new boutique hotel.