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Important Double Dresser by Vladimir Kagan for Kagan-Dreyfuss, 1950s, Signed

About the Item

This very rare and important sculptural double dresser was designed by Vladimir Kagan and handcrafted by Kagan-Dreyfuss Inc during the 1950s in New York. Each of the two chests are signed on the back with Kagan-Dreyfuss New York stamps. Expansive 100" width provides exceptional storage. Kagan-Dreyfuss (1950-1960) stamped pieces are amongst the most sought after by collectors and investors of art and design. Hugo Dreyfuss retired in 1960 making this piece dated to 1950-1960 and within Kagan's prime years. Stamped pieces are extremely hard to find and demand exceptional value, and this dresser is double stamped (one on each chest). Featuring a sculpted solid walnut base with two side by side walnut chests attached on top, each with four drawers. Drawers with recessed fronts to allow for a handle-less design. Each drawer has removable compartments, the two top drawers with additional compartments for organizing socks and underwear or for use as a sideboard to organize silverware. Exotic yet refined design for the most discerning client. We have the matching nightstands as can be seen in the photos, in additional we have a full suite of other 1950s Vladimir Kagan designs which compliments the dresser and nightstands, a photo of one Kagan for Grosfeld House 1950s sofa can be seen in the photos but contact us for more details on the other items from this suite. This important collectors piece by Vladimir Kagan was restored in a French Polish giving it a thick glass-like finish which protects it from regular daily use and gives the deep walnut grain a vibrant and refined appearance. French Polish is the most expensive and labor intensive finish that is often reserved for the finest items, usually for exotic woods and often seen on important Rosewood and Macassar Ebony Art Deco cabinets. The deep watery-sheen is created through many hand applied coats and hand polished to a thick glass-like finish. The results are just exquisite, and this important piece is now ready for immediate placement in any high-end luxury designer project. This Vladimir Kagan for Kagan-Dreyfuss sculpture dresser would work great in a Mid-Century Modern, Space Age Mod, Scandanavian Modern or Danish Modern home or penthouse apartment but could also look fantastic in a Post-Modern, Contemporary or Zen / Minimalism room. Also consider mixing it up in a Traditional, Transitional, Hollywood Regency, Classical or Art Deco room with a splash of juxtaposition. Would also be an apt choice in a commercial project such as a hotel lobby lounge or members club, creative design studio or high-rise executive office. Ideal for use as a dresser in a bedroom, but also consider as a sideboard or buffet in a dining room, a credenza for an office or entryway, or media cabinet in a den or living room. MEASUREMENTS: H 32.25" x W 100" x D 19" CONDITION: Restored with a French Polish. We left it's original age visible on the back and underside of the cabinet. Some small veneer repairs barely noticeable unless with close inspection. Incredibly gorgeous piece, ready for immediate use in any high-end luxury application.

Creator:

Kagan-Dreyfuss, Inc. (Maker),Vladimir Kagan (Designer)

Dimensions:

Height: 32.25 in (81.92 cm)Width: 100 in (254 cm)Depth: 19 in (48.26 cm)

Style:

Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)

Materials and Techniques:

Walnut

Place of Origin:

United States

Period:

1950-1959

Date of Manufacture:

1950s

Condition:

Refinished. Excellent restored condition. See description for more details. Ready for immediate use.

Seller Location:

Los Angeles, CA

Reference Number:

1stDibs: LU1330232849882

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Shop All Vladimir Kagan

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.