Vladimir Kagan Desk, Glass Top, Zebrawood, Brass colored Anodized Aluminium
View Similar Items
Vladimir Kagan Desk, Glass Top, Zebrawood, Brass colored Anodized Aluminium
About the Item
- Creator:Vladimir Kagan (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 29.5 in (74.93 cm)Width: 84 in (213.36 cm)Depth: 36 in (91.44 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1967
- Condition:Very good to excellent. Very few signs of use. There is a single dark line on the wood about 3 inches long. Glass has very light scratches. Anodized aluminum frames has light scratches and scuffs. Overall fine vintage condition.
- Seller Location:Kansas City, MO
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU105706869963
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.
- Early Vladimir Kagan Custom Order Desk with Drawers. Walnut and Cane.By Vladimir KaganLocated in Kansas City, MOEarly, one of a kind, Vladimir Kagan Desk. Walnut case with cane modesty panel. Super cool and sleek design. Classic Kagan sculptural tripod legs support each side. We believe th...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsCane, Walnut
- Vladimir Kagan Unicorn Occasional Tables, Pair, Polished Cast Aluminum & GlassBy Vladimir KaganLocated in Kansas City, MOVladimir Kagan unicorn occasional tables, pair. Vladimir Kagan Designs, Inc. USA, 1959 / circa 1990. Cast and polished aluminum, glass. Very good condit...Category
1990s American Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsAluminum
- Vladimir Kagan Triangular Stool or Ottoman for the Kagan New York CollectionBy Vladimir KaganLocated in Kansas City, MOOriginal Vladimir Kagan stool or ottoman for the New York Collection. This is a vintage showroom sample in all original excellent condition.Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Stools
MaterialsAluminum
- Vladimir Kagan Unicorn sofa for Kagan Designs, 1967. Very Rare. One Owner.By Vladimir KaganLocated in Kansas City, MOThis original Vladimir Kagan Curved Unicorn sofa has had only one owner and was purchased directly from Vladimir Kagan Designs, Inc. in 1967. The design ...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsAluminum, Wrought Iron
- Desk by Jens Risom, Blonde Wood, Blue Drawer Fronts, Chrome Pulls, Laminate TopBy Jens RisomLocated in Kansas City, MOJens Risom desk for Risom Designs. Birch wood case, light blue lacquered drawer fronts, chrome pulls, brass feet, and virtually indestructible Laminate top. Condition is good and com...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsBrass, Chrome
- Danish Modern "Eden" Partners Desk, Large Surface with Roll Top File CabinetsBy Magnussen and ClaussenLocated in Kansas City, MO"Eden Desk" designed by Magnussen and Claussen for Eden, Holland. Three drawers, three roll top file cabinets accessed on the desk surface. Two...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Desks
MaterialsBrass
- Ernst Schwadron, a Vladimir Kagan Made Unique Desk, circa 1945By Ernst SchwadronLocated in Sharon, CTWhen showing this desk at a 'Modernism Show', Vladimir Kagan related to me that this desk was executed by him as a teenager in his father's New York City workshop, for the Austrian/A...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsPoplar
- Vladimir Kagan Style Gianni Walnut and Lucite Executive DeskBy Gianni Furniture Co.Located in Countryside, ILVladimir Kagan Style Gianni Walnut and Lucite Executive Desk This desk measures: 77.5 wide x 38 deep x 29.25 high, with a chair clearance of 27 inches All pieces of furniture can b...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsLucite, Walnut
- Karl Springer Zebrawood Writing Desk with Stainless Steel and Brass AccentsBy Karl SpringerLocated in Miami, FLKarl Springer zebrawood writing desk with stainless steel and brass accents Offered for sale is a highly polished Karl Springer exotic zebrawood writing desk with a stainless stee...Category
Late 20th Century American Desks
MaterialsBrass, Stainless Steel
$14,400 Sale Price20% Off - Glass Top X-Base DeskLocated in Brooklyn, NYThis unique antiqued glass writing table features a wonderful chrome X-style base and two drawer storage. Unique pulls, sturdy construction, and antique finish on the beveled mirror ...Category
Late 20th Century Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsChrome
$1,500 Sale Price21% Off - Important Vladimir Kagan Rosewood Brass Dresser, Desk Unit, 1950sBy Vladimir KaganLocated in Culver City, CAIf you're a fan of Vladimir Kagan and are looking for a piece with a story, look no farther. This piece resided in the master bedroom of Vladimir Kagan and Erica Wilson's Park Avenue apartment. This is the Kagan Family Custom Dresser and Desk, Vladimir Kagan Designs, Inc., USA, circa 1950. Designed by Vladimir Kagan for he and his wife's bedroom-- this set is truly stunning. Modular in nature, there is a dresser unit, that is flanked by a file cabinet, diagonally slatted drawers, and a drafting drawer for Kagan's pens. The unit has an attached drafting table with a drawer that features a multi-level adjusting lever where Vladimir Kagan himself used to sit and prepare his sketches. Below the drafting table, you can see the groove to pullout the drawer was completely hand tooled. This seat is comprised of hardwood, with rosewood veneer, brass legs and drawer pulls which have been polished back to their original glow, and a laminate top on the drafting table. This set can be seen as documented in: Martin Eidelberg, Design 1935-1965: What Modern Was, Abrams, p. 162 New York Social Diary, Vladimir Kagan, April 15, 2016 Vladimir Kagan (1927-2016) was a German-born American furniture designer known for his sleek, modernist designs that combined organic shapes with high-tech materials. Kagan began his career in the 1940s, working for his father's furniture business in Germany. He later immigrated to the United States and started his own design studio in New York City in 1949. Over the next several decades, Kagan created hundreds of iconic designs, including his signature "Sculptured Chair" and "Floating Sofa," which became icons of 1950s and 60s modernism. Kagan's designs were celebrated for their sculptural quality and unique use of materials, such as fiberglass, lucite, and stainless steel. He also pioneered the use of ergonomics in furniture design, creating pieces that were not only beautiful but also comfortable to use. Throughout his career, Kagan received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to design, including the American Society of Interior Designers' Designer of Distinction award in 1985 and induction into the Interior Design Hall of Fame in 2009. Kagan's impact on the world of furniture design is incredibly significant. His work helped define the Mid-Century Modern aesthetic, and his innovative use of materials and focus on ergonomics continue to influence designers today. His designs are highly sought after by collectors and are displayed in museums around the world. This set is currently in our gallery with a set of Vladimir Kagan unicorn...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsBrass
$19,600 Sale Price30% Off - Italian Modernist Glass Top DeskLocated in New York, NYAn Italian modernist glass top desk. Mahogany with fruitwood inlay details, patinated brass sabots, original glass top.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsMahogany