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 for Dreyfuss Mid Century Walnut Tri-Symmetric Coffee Table
By Kagan-Dreyfuss, Inc., Vladimir Kagan
Located in Franklin Park, IL
Vladimir Kagan for Dreyfuss Mid Century Walnut Tri-Symmetric Coffee Table This coffee table measures: 47 wide x 35.5 deep x 15.25 inches high Great Vintage Condition - Gentle Wear ...
Glass, Walnut
Mid-Century Modern Sculptural Walnut Snail Cocktail Table by Vladimir Kagan 1970
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Fabulous design from the sixties by Vladimir Kagan and Associates. Snail walnut cocktail table with a choice of two different configurations, round or square. Round being 38" in diam...
Glass, Walnut
Vladimir Kagan, Coffee Table, Walnut, Marble, USA, 1950s
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in High Point, NC
A walnut and marble coffee table designed by Vladimir Kagan and produced by Kagan-Dreyfuss, Inc., New York, c. 1950s. Provenance: DeLorenzo Gallery, New York. Wear consistent with ...
Marble
Vladimir Kagan Mid Century Walnut Snail Coffee Table
By Vladimir Kagan, Selig
Located in Franklin Park, IL
Vladimir Kagan Mid Century Walnut Snail Coffee Table This coffee table measures: 46 wide x 46 deep x 14.75 inches high Great Vintage Condition - Minor Stain Wear to the Table Base....
Glass, Walnut
Mid-Century Propellor Coffee Table by Vladimir Kagan for Selig
By Vladimir Kagan, Selig
Located in Westport, CT
Restored vintage Propellor Table, designed by Vladimir Kagan for Selig. Redone in our dark walnut finish, featuring the signature nickel stretcher refinished in bronze, and a brand-...
Bronze
Vladimir Kagan Snail Coffee Table in Walnut w/Original Glass
By Vladimir Kagan, Selig
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Snail coffee table by Vladimir Kagan for Selig. Coffee table is all original including the glass which measures 42" wide, 42" deep. Walnut base measures 25.5” wide, 22.5” deep and ...
Glass, Wood, Walnut
Vladimir Kagan Mid Century Walnut Snail Coffee Table
By Vladimir Kagan, Selig
Located in Franklin Park, IL
Vladimir Kagan Mid Century Walnut Snail Coffee Table This coffee table measures: 42 wide x 36.75 deep x 15 inches high All pieces of furniture can be had in what we call restored v...
Glass, Walnut
$10,000Sale Price|28% Off
Vladimir Kagan for Kagan-Dreyfuss Table w Alexandra Kasuba Tiles, c 1949, Signed
By Kagan-Dreyfuss, Inc., Vladimir Kagan
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This rare collectors piece is a documented and signed low table designed in 1949 by Vladimir Kagan and produced through the 1950's while Kagan was partnered with Hugo Dreyfuss. Signed underneath with the Kagan-Dreyfuss stamp as can be seen in the photos, which reads Kagan-Dreyfuss New York, A Vladimir Kagan Design. Featuring Alexandra Kasuba ceramic art tiles over rough-etched oak and brass sheet legs. The Kasuba tiles feature a design of modernist horses and trees in colors of red, orange, yellow and green over a black background. This example is the larger 84" width of the design and ideal either as a long coffee or cocktail table or a low console / media table placed against a wall. Excellent option to place a sculpture or pottery and plant while displaying the beautiful Kasuba art tiles. This piece is functional fine art for your floor. Extremely rare and sought-after by collectors, this early production Kagan design produced during the Hugo Dreyfuss years. Items stamped with the Hugo-Dreyfuss stamp are exceptional pieces held in collections of fine art and design connoisseurs. Interior designers, get this for your most difficult-to-please high-profile client. *The Paul Evans Patchwork Copper sideboard and the emerald green velvet Togo sofa...
Brass
Vladimir Kagan Mid Century Burlwood Coffee Table
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Franklin Park, IL
Vladimir Kagan Mid Century Burlwood Coffee Table This coffee table measures: 40 wide x 39.75 deep x 14.25 inches high Good Vintage Condition - Areas of Finish Wear on Coffee Table ...
Burl
Vladimir Kagan Early and Rare Custom Tile Top Coffee Table, 1940s
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Coronado, CA
An early and exceptional custom coffee table designed and built by Vladimir Kagan in his New York City workshop in the late 1940s. This is the only example of this design we have seen outside of the Vladimir Kagan book...
Mahogany
Ceramic Base Cocktail Table by George Greenamyer for Vladimir Kagan
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Dallas, TX
Designed by George Greenamyer for Vladimir Kagan. Ceramic base measures 14.5"W x 14.5"D x 15.25"H. Signed. From Greenamyer's web site: In 1964 I was one of 5 artists who founded the Pulpit Rock Artists Community in Woodstock, CT, to create studio space for new graduates. I exhibited my ceramic sculpture and I was commissioned to make ceramic furniture by Vladimir Kagan Associates. My teaching career started in 1968. My welding and foundry background was a key factor in my being offered a full-time position and being told to develop a sculpture department. In 1981 I became a full professor. I had the opportunity in the late 80s to design, with my shop technician, a "state of the art" metalworking and foundry facility. My classes were in welding, blacksmithing, foundry and 3D design. I have also taught workshops at Haystack in Maine, Penland in North Carolina and at other colleges. In 2005, I was designated professor emeritus. I still teach one welding class In the early 70s, I switched from ceramic to metal sculpture, which I exhibited where ever I could. In 1976, I completed my first major public art commission for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. In 1977, I won an Artists Fellowship Grant from the Massachusetts Arts and Humanities Foundation and a Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Grant. In 1979 I was a research fellow at the Center of Advanced Visual Arts at MIT to pursue my interest in kinetics. In the early 80s I had a large solo show at the Lopoukhine Gallery in Boston, the Laumeier Sculpture Museum in St. Louis and the Neil Gallery in New York City, where I was represented for 3 years. My sculpture is in the permanent collection of several Massachusetts museums: the Fuller Art Museum, Brockton; the Art Complex Museum, Duxbury; the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park, Lincoln and on the campus of Boston University and Massachusetts College of Art and Design. During the mid 80s to early 90s, I did the ice sculpture component of seven ice sculpture/performances in collaboration with other artists at First Night, Boston, and the Laumeier Sculpture Park in St. Louis, MO. In 1995, I was one of 18 artists who created a miniature golf hole for Strokes of Genius and in 2007, one of 12 artists that created sites for model trains called Trainscapes, both at the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park in Lincoln, MA. In the mid-80s I made the choice to focus my career efforts on public art commissions obtained through national competitions. Public art commissions allowed me to produce work in a size I could never afford. I liked the challenge of solving the design problems of the site and selecting a narrative that makes sense to the project and the committees. I could incorporate kinetics (sometimes fiber optics) and hired a mechanical and a structural engineer...
Ceramic, Glass
Mid Century Modern Sculptural "Radius" Cocktail Table by Vladimir Kagan
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Fabulous Radius cocktail table by Vladimir Kagan. Three sided curved walnut slabs connected by a chromed steel spoke. Glass top is 30" diameter. Hgt is 14.5 In excellent vintage cond...
Steel, Chrome
$6,800Sale Price|20% Off
Early Walnut and Marble Curvy Coffee Table by Vladimir Kagan
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Atlanta, GA
An early and rare model of curvy coffee table by Vladimir Kagan for Kagan-Dreyfuss, Inc., circa 1950. Constructed from walnut and inset with a piec...
Marble
Vladimir Kagan Infinity Steel Glass Personal Family Coffee Table, Circa 1970
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Originally installed in the living room of Vladimir Kagan and Erica Wilson's Park Avenue apartment. A true post modern piece constructed of polished stainless steel with a tempered glass top. Designed as a square glass top with a curved and straight edge chrome base. #6703 by Kagan. H: 15 3/4, W: 42, D: 42 in. Provenance: Property from the Personal Collection of Vladimir Kagan Published: Vladimir Kagan, The Complete Kagan, Pointed Leaf Press...
Stainless Steel
Mid-Century Modern Cocktail Table by Vladimir Kagan # 6703 Glass & Chrome Base
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Fabulous and rare piece. Straight from the Dakota apartment building in NYC. 41.5 square glass top with a curved and straight edge chrome Base. #6703 ...
Steel, Chrome
$4,200Sale Price|20% Off
Stunning Vladimir Kagan Lucite and Burl Walnut Coffee Table Midcentury
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Pemberton, NJ
Stunning Vladimir Kagan Lucite and burl walnut coffee table. This wonderful table is in very nice vintage condition. The square is 40" x 40", the glass is 30" in diameter and the len...
Glass, Lucite, Burl
Vladimir Kagan Boomerang Coffee Table with Cast Textured Glass Top
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Clifton, NJ
This iconic 1967 Vladimir Kagan design showcases the sculptural, aerodynamic lines that define his mid‑century modern legacy. Its signature free‑form ¾-inch cast textured glass top r...
Glass, Lacquer
Vladimir Kagan Mid Century Steel and Glass Infinity Coffee Table
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Franklin Park, IL
Vladimir Kagan Mid Century Steel and Glass Infinity Coffee Table This coffee table measures: 42 wide x 42 deep x 16 inches high All pieces of furniture can be had in what we call r...
Steel
$3,400Sale Price|20% Off
Fabulous Swirl Coffee Table Vladimir Kagan Design Group, USA, circa 2008
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Pemberton, NJ
This fabulous table was purchased from the estate of the late Vladimir Kagan. This was in his NYC apartment and was part of his personal collection. This...
Glass, Maple
Live Edge 'Monkeypod' Wood Coffee Table, Hawaii, USA, 1950s
By George Nakashima, Sam Maloof
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Live Edge 'Monkeypod' Wood Coffee Table, Hawaii, USA, circa 1950s Solid 'Monkeypod' Wood "Nice size, color and grain. The top is organic with a "Live Edge" on tapered legs attached...
Wood
Mid-Century Modern Walnut Cocktail Table by T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings
By T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, Widdicomb Furniture Co.
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A light-brown, vintage Mid-Century Modern American cocktail coffee table made of hand crafted Walnut, designed by T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings and produced by Widdicomb Furniture Company, ...
Walnut
$1,650
H 14.5 in W 60 in D 25 in
Vladimir Kagan Selig Danish Modern Walnut Chrome Glass Propeller Coffee Table
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vladimir Kagan Selig Danish Modern Walnut Chrome Glass Propeller Coffee Table. Item features curved walnut ends, rectangular glass top, chrome stre...
Chrome
Mid-Century Jen Risom Walnut Coffee Table
By Jens Risom
Located in Pasadena, TX
40? Mid-century Jen Rison walnut coffee table. Jens Risom coffee table in walnut laminate. Round top with square sculptural base. Original Jens Risom D...
Walnut
Vladimir Kagan Early and Rare Custom Tile Top Coffee Table, 1940s
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Coronado, CA
An early and exceptional custom coffee table designed and built by Vladimir Kagan in his New York City workshop in the late 1940s. This is the only example of this design we have seen outside of the Vladimir Kagan book...
Mahogany
$5,200Sale Price|40% Off
H 20 in W 28 in D 16 in
Mosaic Tile Side Table by Vladimir Kagan for Kagan-Dreyfuss, circa 1955
By Vladimir Kagan, Kagan-Dreyfuss, Inc.
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This rare gem of a side table is by Vladimir Kagan, during his early years with Hugo Dreyfuss featuring his highly-sought-after-by-collectors mosaic tiles on the table top and sculpt...
Ceramic, Walnut
Mid-Century Italian Marble Coffee Table, 1950s
Located in Oud Beijerland, NL
Beautiful coffee table with gorgeous elegant marble top and metallic legs with brass tips. Made in Italy during the 1950s. The marble has a beautiful natural design with mineral vein...
Marble, Brass, Metal
$9,250 / set
H 20.5 in W 27.5 in D 16 in
Mid-Century Modern Sculptural Stacking Nesting Tables by Vladimir Kagan Signed
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Fantastic set of stcking/nesting tables by Vladimir Kagan in solid wanut. Sculptural legs all in hand selected solid walnut that come up the tops which have a solid central panel and...
Walnut
$19,900Sale Price|30% Off
H 28.5 in W 48 in D 48 in
VK201 Rosewood Dining Table by Vladimir Kagan for Kagan-Dreyfuss, 1958, Signed
By Vladimir Kagan, Kagan-Dreyfuss, Inc.
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This rare and important model #VK-201 sculptured Rosewood and Walnut 'Round Extension Dining Table' by Vladimir Kagan for Kagan-Dreyfuss was designed in 1958, this example produced between 1958 and 1960, during Kagan's partnership with Hugo Dreyfuss which ended in 1960. This rare example is stamped with the Kagan-Dreyfuss branded marks on the underside of the table and under one of the two leaves, and serves as an important early example of this sought-after design, perfect for collectors, art and design investors, and interior designers working on high profile projects. This Model VK-201, described in Kagan's early catalogues as a 'Round Extension Dining Table in walnut with rosewood top' has Kagan's signature gorgeous sculpted legs in solid walnut along with a magnificent vivid-grained Rosewood top. Just look at the closeup photos of the sculpted edges and tailored legs... this table looks more like a sculpture than merely just furniture. Quality of materials and craftsmanship you don't find in todays products - this table is the epitome of the saying 'they don't make them like they used to'. Ultra refinement in this gorgeous collectors piece which extends from a dining or card / game / cafe table seating for four, to a larger dining or meeting table suitable for eight. With no leaves - the table is 48" round and with both leaves extends to 96" while retaining a very nice 48" width. Vladimir Kagan's works have been highly valued by collectors and art / design investors, and his earlier works in the 1950s partnership with Hugo Dreyfuss (Kagan-Dreyfuss from 1950 to 1960) are among the most sought after by 'purist collectors' like myself. Why do I prize his 1950s works above all else? I can write a short book on this, but one easy to explain reason is that this was a period unlike the rest of his career, where items produced in this time are hallmarked within that period - a distinction that his later works lacked. Essentially, everything post the early 60s blended together with the decades thereafter. A novice Kagan collector is content with anything by Kagan, even items produced by Directional and American Leather Company...
Walnut, Rosewood
$10,000Sale Price|28% Off
H 13 in W 84 in D 21 in
Vladimir Kagan for Kagan-Dreyfuss Table w Alexandra Kasuba Tiles, c 1949, Signed
By Kagan-Dreyfuss, Inc., Vladimir Kagan
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This rare collectors piece is a documented and signed low table designed in 1949 by Vladimir Kagan and produced through the 1950's while Kagan was partnered with Hugo Dreyfuss. Signed underneath with the Kagan-Dreyfuss stamp as can be seen in the photos, which reads Kagan-Dreyfuss New York, A Vladimir Kagan Design. Featuring Alexandra Kasuba ceramic art tiles over rough-etched oak and brass sheet legs. The Kasuba tiles feature a design of modernist horses and trees in colors of red, orange, yellow and green over a black background. This example is the larger 84" width of the design and ideal either as a long coffee or cocktail table or a low console / media table placed against a wall. Excellent option to place a sculpture or pottery and plant while displaying the beautiful Kasuba art tiles. This piece is functional fine art for your floor. Extremely rare and sought-after by collectors, this early production Kagan design produced during the Hugo Dreyfuss years. Items stamped with the Hugo-Dreyfuss stamp are exceptional pieces held in collections of fine art and design connoisseurs. Interior designers, get this for your most difficult-to-please high-profile client. *The Paul Evans Patchwork Copper sideboard and the emerald green velvet Togo sofa...
Brass
Mid-Century Modern Walnut Coffee Table - Refinished!
Located in Clarksboro, NJ
This striking 1960’s Mid-Century Modern walnut coffee table showcases the timeless simplicity and craftsmanship that define the era. Featuring a beautifully refinished walnut top wit...
Wood, Walnut
$6,500
H 23 in W 21.75 in D 21.75 in
Vladimir Kagan Modernist End Table in Rosewood, Kagan-Dreyfuss, c. 1950
By Kagan-Dreyfuss, Inc., Vladimir Kagan
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pedestal end table, model 6722, comprising an open square body in lacquered rosewood finished with a .75-inch, tinted glass top with radiused corners, designed by Vladimir Kagan for ...
Glass, Rosewood
Vladimir Kagan Wood and Stainless Steel Coffee Table
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Miami, FL
A square coffee table with stainless steel cylindrical legs by Vladimir Kagan.
Stainless Steel
Vladimir Kagan Snail Coffee Table, Walnut & Glass, 1960's
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Culver City, CA
A true design classic, this Vladimir Kagan Snail Coffee Table is a sculptural statement piece with curves in all the right places. Cr...
Glass, Walnut
Sold
H 14.77 in W 59.06 in D 29.73 in
Mid Century Modern Sculptural Walnut & Glass Cocktail Table by Vladimir Kagan
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in London, GB
A rare 1960s Mid-Century Modern sculptural walnut base kidney shaped glass cocktail table by Vladimir Kagan, model 412. A fabulously rare and stylish piece that can compliment any ...
Walnut
Sold
H 13.25 in W 52 in D 52 in
Vladimir Kagan (1927-2016) Patinated Etched Brass Top Teak Coffee Table, 1950s
By Vladimir Kagan, Kagan-Dreyfuss, Inc.
Located in Germantown, MD
An iconic coffee table designed by Vladimir Kagan For Kagan-Dreyfuss, New York, 1950s. Very unique Patinated etched / embossed and Bookmatched brass top over three large legs joined ...
Brass
Sold
H 17.4 in W 60 in D 35 in
Mid Century Modern Sculptural Walnut & Glass Cocktail Table by Vladimir Kagan
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Iconic design by Vladimir Kagan C1960 Sculptural 412 glass and walnut kidney shape cocktail table. Sinuous arms reaching out to collect the shapely kidney glass top. Fabulous style a...
Glass, Walnut
Vladimir Kagan Illuminated Omnibus Coffee/End Table, 1970
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Chicago, IL
Vladimir Kagan Illuminated Omnibus Coffee/End Table, 1970. Excellent condition. Measures 34" long, 18" deep, 16" tall
Acrylic, Wood
1970s Vladimir Kagan Burl Walnut, Lucite and Glass Low Table
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Charleston, SC
A striking design in rich and innovative materials, this coffee table by Vladimir Kagan has terrific presence in the room. The thick Lucite legs support a top of highly figured burle...
Glass, Lucite, Burl
Sold
H 15 in W 25 in D 50 in
Vladimir Kagan Propeller Wood Chrome and Glass Mid Century Modern Coffee Table
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Keego Harbor, MI
A Vladimir Kagan Propeller glass coffee table. A fantastic mid cenruty modern table with great design, great materials, and a great name in Vladimir Ka...
Wood
Sold
H 16.1 in W 31.9 in D 72 in
Vladimir Kagan, "Tri-Symmetric" Coffee Table, Walnut, Glass, USA, 1950s
By Kagan-Dreyfuss, Inc., Vladimir Kagan
Located in High Point, NC
A walnut and glass "Tri-Symmetric" Coffee Table designed by Vladimir Kagan and produced by Kagan-Dreyfuss, Inc. USA, c. 1950s.
Glass, Walnut
Vladimir Kagan Tri-Symmetric Coffee Table Circa 1950s
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Peabody, MA
An original tri-symmetric coffee table by Vladimir Kagan in bleached walnut, ca. 1950s,
Glass, Walnut
Vladimir Kagan Mosaic Venetian Glass Cocktail Table, Signed
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Dallas, TX
Beautiful and very hard to find mosaic top venetian glass cocktail table by Vladmir Kagan for Kagan- Dreyfuss. Table top is venetian tiles assembled in a...
Brass
Vladimir Kagan Tri-Symmetric Coffee Table in Walnut with Glass Top
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in San Diego, CA
This early production “Tri-Symmetric” coffee table by Vladimir Kagan is a beautiful center piece to any space. Kagan said, “The joints reflected roots and trees and bones and knuckle, I used a lot of human anatomy, I created what I called vessels for the human body.” Walnut base as been restored. There is a minor chip on the glass from previous owner. About the Designer: Vladimir Kagan was an illustrious American furniture designer whose historic career spanned nearly 65 years. Born in Germany in 1927, he immigrated with his family to the United States in 1938 fleeing from the rise of the Nazi regime. He studied architecture at Columbia and later apprenticed with his father, a master cabinetmaker, in his woodworking shop. In 1949, Kagan opened his own shop in New York, shortly thereafter releasing his first furniture collection, receiving the Museum of Modern Art, New York Good Design Award for his wrought-iron chair. His work is well-known for its avant-garde craftsmanship combined with comfort and functionality. The sensuous, organic forms take on human-like characteristics through exaggerated, curved lines. Kagan’s designs are produced with varying materials including brass, acrylic, aluminum and, most notably, wood. Over the course of his career, his work was highly sought after by celebrity clientele from Marilyn Monroe to Tom Ford, and he lent his design to projects such as Disneyland’s Monsanto House of the Future in 1964 and the Downtown Los Angeles Standard Hotel lobby redesign in 2002. Kagan lectured extensively on the history of modern furniture design at institutions including Parsons School of Design, Yale and Philadelphia University. A highly honored designer, he was elected president of the American Society of Interior Designers New York...
Glass, Walnut