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 Mid Century Walnut Snail Coffee Table
By Selig, Vladimir Kagan
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
Spiral Occasional Table by Vladimir Kagan, USA 1970s
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Roma, IT
A sculptural and highly distinctive occasional table designed by Vladimir Kagan, masterfully expressing the designer’s celebrated affinity for fluid, organic form. The table is comp...
Art Glass, Wood
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
Mid-Century Sculpted Biomorphic Shaped Coffee Table w/ Glass Top
Located in Los Angeles, CA
________________________________________ Transforming a piece of Mid-Century Modern furniture is like bringing history back to life, and we take this journey with passion and precisi...
Glass, Wood, Walnut
Mid-Century Modern "Swirl" Glass Coffee Table by Daniel Gluck
By Daniel Gluck
Located in North Hollywood, CA
This exceptional vintage coffee table represents a remarkable collaboration between artistry and function. Created by renowned California artist Daniel Gluck in the 1960s, the “Swirl” showcases the era’s bold experimentation with form and materials. The table’s most captivating feature is its sculptural base—an abstract composition of torch-cut steel that spirals upward in a dramatic, fluid motion. This dynamic swirling form creates visual movement from every angle, transforming a utilitarian piece into a work of art. The raw, industrial character of the steel provides a striking contrast to the refined elegance of the thick oval glass top that rests above. The substantial glass surface not only offers practical functionality but also allows the intricate metalwork below to remain fully visible, ensuring the base’s artistic merit takes center stage. This thoughtful design choice exemplifies mid-century modern aesthetics, which celebrated transparency and openness. As a statement piece, the Swirl coffee table...
Metal
$2,995
H 15 in W 59.5 in D 21 in
Mid-Century Modern Biomorphic Walnut and Glass Coffee Table, USA, 1960s
Located in North Hollywood, CA
A striking example of mid-century modern design, this mid-century coffee table captures the sculptural spirit that made Vladimir Kagan’s work so influential. Crafted in the United St...
Glass, Walnut
$3,850
H 18 in W 41.5 in D 41.5 in
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
1970s Retro Design Glass Coffee Table set on a Glass Spiral Helix
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
1970s Retro Design Glass Coffee Table set on a Glass Spiral Helix This thrilling style was originally designed by Danny Lane, the table is a large Oval set on a stacked glass Spiral...
Glass
Japanese Coffee Table in Walnut and Glass, Mid-Century Modern, 1970s
Located in Houston, TX
Japanese Coffee Table in Walnut and Glass Coffee table made in the style of Isamu Noguchi, Japanese-American artist and designer. The supporting base was made out of walnut wood and...
Glass, Walnut
$2,000Sale Price|20% Off
H 16.5 in W 48 in D 48 in
Post modern lucite snail spiral glass top coffee table
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Post modern lucite snail spiral glass top coffee table. Base is made of clear polished lucite abstract form. High quality rounded corner glass top coffee or cocktail table. Very clea...
Glass, Plexiglass
Adrian Pearsall Wood and Glass Coffee Table
By Adrian Pearsall
Located in Milano, IT
An elegant wood and glass coffee table designed by Adrian Pearsall Attr. in the 1960s. The coffee table consists of a solid light-coloure...
Glass, Wood
Italian Coffee Table by Vittorio Gregotti top glass
By Vittorio Gregotti
Located in Milano, IT
A coffee table of extraordinary elegance, made in Italy by Vittorio Gregotti in the 1960s, a golden era for Italian design. This unique piece stands out for its imposing and sculptur...
Glass, Wood
Italian Vintage Coffee Table Attr. to Gio Ponti, 1950s
By Gio Ponti
Located in Milano, IT
Low coffee table attributed to Gio Ponti, designed in the 1950s. The low table has a perfectly intact dark glass top. The frame is made of very strong wood. The structure of the tabl...
Smoked Glass, Wood
Nanna Ditzel Black Danish Coffee Table
By Nanna Ditzel
Located in Milano, IT
Nanna Ditzel 1960s coffee table. Consisting of purely circular elements, clean and essential elements characterize the line of Nanna. In ebonized wood is in good condition vintage sl...
Wood
Italian Coffee Table by Giuseppe Scapinelli in Wood and Marble, 1950s
By Giuseppe Scapinelli
Located in Milano, IT
Small centre table by Giuseppe Scapinelli from the 1950s. The large coffee table is made of a walnut frame, which is carved and sculpted into its fo...
Marble
Round Wooden Coffee Table by Osvaldo Borsani
By Osvaldo Borsani, Eugenio Gerli
Located in Milano, IT
Discover the timeless elegance of mid-century Italian craftsmanship with this round wooden coffee table designed by Osvaldo Borsani in the ...
Wood
