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'Kang Tao' Bronze Dining Table by Philip and Kelvin LaVerne, c. 1965, Signed

About
Details
- CreatorPhilip and Kelvin LaVerne (Designer)
- DimensionsHeight: 30 in. (76.2 cm)Width: 72 in. (182.88 cm)Depth: 44 in. (111.76 cm)
- StyleMid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques
- Place of Origin
- Period
- Date of Manufacture1960s
- ConditionVery good vintage condition. Ready for immediate use. Please see description for greater detail.
- Seller LocationLos Angeles, CA
- Reference Number1stDibs: LU1330227414682
Shipping & Returns
- ShippingShips From: Long Beach, CA
- Return Policy
A return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
About the Designer
Philip and Kelvin LaVerne
Look closely at any vintage furniture designed by father-son duo Philip and Kelvin LaVerne and a cacophony of stylistic influences reveals itself.
The LaVernes’ position at the intersection of art and design was the result of their combined backgrounds: Philip (1907–87) studied painting with Ashcan School artist John Sloan at the Art Students League of New York, while his son, Kelvin (b. 1937), attended the Parsons School of Design, taking classes in art history, furniture design and metalwork. The resulting merge of stylistic elements and innovative processes make for singular designs that defy categorization, striking a balance between modern and traditional, intricate and minimal, art piece and functional item. Their work was also strikingly different from the modern furniture created by Philip’s brother Erwine and his wife, Estelle, of Laverne Originals.
The LaVernes began producing one-of-a-kind furniture and sculpture in the mid-1950s out of a studio on Wooster Street in New York City before opening a showroom on Manhattan’s East 57th Street. As their 1960s advertisements declared: “It’s not just functional and not just art, it’s an investment.”
The LaVernes married a stunning array of techniques and styles to achieve their singular, deeply layered look for one-of-a-kind and limited-edition pieces. Chinoiserie motifs abound on many of their acid-etched tables, but art from ancient Greece and Egypt also served as inspiration. The influence of figurative sculptors is evident in designs like coffee tables and side tables with bronze bodies serving as frames or bases; other pieces, meanwhile, have deeply detailed surfaces and strikingly simple silhouettes.
The duo developed their own unconventional methods — sometimes to an extreme — for finishing their pieces: Techniques employed by the LaVernes included acid washing and burying furniture underground in a mixture of soil and chemicals to achieve a desired patina through oxidation. While they sometimes used pewter and silver, bronze was one of their most commonly employed materials, either etched or cast and sometimes paired with glass tops. Their partnership ended when Philip died in 1987 and Kelvin shifted his practice to sculpture.
Find an extraordinary range of vintage Philip and Kelvin LaVerne tables, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Automaton is the premier source for early-production originals of hard-to-find 20th-century designs and functional art, serving a range of clients, from celebrities and interior designers to aficionados with modest budgets. Its 20,000-square-foot Los Angeles space is packed with rare examples of designs from a large repertoire of such designers as Philip and Kelvin LaVerne, Vladimir Kagan, Eero Saarinen, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Jorge Zalszupin, Sergio Rodrigues and Giuseppe Scapinelli.
- Bronze 'Classical' Cocktail Table by Philip & Kelvin LaVerne, 1960s, SignedBy Philip and Kelvin LaVerneLocated in Los Angeles, CAThe 'Classical' cocktail table by Philip and Kelvin LaVerne in etched bronze, circa 1960s New York. This fine LaVerne example is the 'Classical' motif described by Philip and Kelvin ...Category
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$10,400 Sale Price22% Off - Bronze 'Classical' Cocktail Table by Philip & Kelvin LaVerne, 1960s, SignedBy Philip and Kelvin LaVerneLocated in Los Angeles, CAThe 'Classical' cocktail table also often referred to as 'Muses' by Philip and Kelvin LaVerne in etched bronze, circa 1960s New York. This fine LaVerne example is the 'Classical' mot...Category
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$9,500 Sale Price20% Off - Bronze 'Muses' Cocktail Table by Philip & Kelvin Laverne, 1960s, SignedBy Philip and Kelvin LaVerneLocated in Los Angeles, CAThe 'Classical' cocktail table (also known as 'Muses' and 'Zodiac') by Philip and Kelvin LaVerne in etched bronze, circa 1960s New York. This fine LaVerne example is the 'Classical' ...Category
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$10,800 Sale Price20% Off - 'Generation' Bronze Sculpture Table by Philip and Kelvin LaVerne, c. 1964 SignedBy Philip and Kelvin LaVerneLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis important and documented bronze sculpture table named "Generation" by Philip and Kelvin LaVerne was sculpted circa 1964 and was featured on the cover of “Philip & Kelvin LaVerne...Category
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$49,700 Sale Price23% Off - 'Classical Boucher' Bronze Coffee Table by Philip & Kelvin LaVerne, 1960s SignedBy Philip and Kelvin LaVerneLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis is an excellent collectors example of the rare and sought after 'Classical Boucher' sculpted oval cocktail table by father and son team, Philip and Kelvin LaVerne, produced in t...Category
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$14,800 Sale Price20% Off - Large 48" Bronze 'Chan' Cocktail Table by Philip & Kelvin Laverne, 1960s SignedBy Philip and Kelvin LaVerneLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis is the large 48" version of the classic and highly sought after 'Chan' cocktail table by father and son team, Philip and Kelvin LaVerne (New York), produced in the 1960s and sig...Category
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