Early Vladimir Kagan Custom Order Desk
About the Item
- Creator:Grosfeld House (Maker),Vladimir Kagan (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 28.63 in (72.73 cm)Width: 60 in (152.4 cm)Depth: 26 in (66.04 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950s
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Chicago, IL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU978637903342
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.
Grosfeld House
The New York City modern furniture manufacturer and retailer Grosfeld House, which had showrooms in Chicago and Los Angeles, forged enduring partnerships with celebrated designers and is known to collectors for its vintage Lucite furniture and other pieces made between the 1930s and the 1970s.
Following the introduction of Lucite in the 1930s, Grosfeld House used the acrylic plastic extensively in its manufacture of everything from coffee tables to chairs to mirrors — its “Glassic” line came to encompass all manner of furnishings. Owing to offerings that took on unconventional forms as well as an integration of flamboyant ornamentation such as lacquered parchment, gilt metal and ebonized wood, the brand became popular with decorators who worked in what we now call the Hollywood Regency style. Grosfeld House also produced chairs, end tables and other pieces in historical furniture styles such as Hepplewhite and Louis XV.
Grosfeld House prospered under the creative direction of furniture designer Lorin Jackson, whose collections of plastic furniture became popular with consumers, and enjoyed collaborations with designers such as distinguished German-American creator Vladimir Kagan.
Kagan, whose oft-copied furnishings for Directional are well-known to collectors, created nearly 150 pieces for Grosfeld House. Eugene Schoen, an American architect and designer most closely associated with the Art Deco style, also developed pieces for the company, while designer Marc Berge made understated mid-century modern furniture for Grosfeld House into the 1960s.
Find vintage Grosfeld House tables, seating and storage pieces for your home on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Chicago, IL
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Early Vintage Florence Knoll Dining Table or DeskBy Florence Knoll, KnollLocated in Chicago, ILEarly vintage Florence Knoll dining table. Model 301 Literature: Knoll Furniture 1938-1960, Rouland and Rouland, pg 105 Comes with 1 (18") leaf. Measures: 60" wide without le...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsWood
- Early Rare Kem Weber Petite Desk for LloydBy Kem WeberLocated in Chicago, ILEarly Rare Kem Weber Petite desk for Lloyd early Label attached.Category
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsChrome
- Early Vintage Milo Baughman Architectural Cantilevered Desk for Glenn of CalifBy Milo Baughman, Glenn of CaliforniaLocated in Chicago, ILEarly vintage Milo Baughman Architectural cantilevered desk for Glenn of California c. 1950 This desk is being sold "As-is" at this time. Needs to visit a furniture repair...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsWood
- Dramatic 1970s / Early 80s Solid Bronze Antelope Head Desk Table / Dining TableBy Karl SpringerLocated in Chicago, ILA Dramatic Table base seeing as either a Dining Table, Buffet Table, or Desk. Dating to the 1970s to possibly the 1980s. Mounted at each corner are Solid Heavy Bronze Antelope hea...Category
Mid-20th Century Post-Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsBronze
- Burl Cityscape Executive Desk By Paul EvansBy Paul EvansLocated in Chicago, ILA period Paul Evans Desk in Cityscape Burl wood. In rather remarkable original condition minus some minor wear and tear that can easily be fixed. Please request additional photos a...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsWood
- Classy Paul Frankl Writing Desk for Johnson FurnitureBy Johnson Furniture Co., Paul FranklLocated in Chicago, ILElegant proportions, conical tapering legs and brass X-handles. Reminiscent of Tommi Parzinger. This item should be purchased with the intent to refinish. Structurally sound. Priced ...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsWood
- Vladimir Kagan, Early Custom Sculptural Walnut DeskBy Kagan-Dreyfuss, Inc., Vladimir KaganLocated in Brooklyn, NYA rare, likely one-of-a-kind, Vladimir Kagan design, employing all of the design touches that make him such an important figure in American Modernism. A wonderful melding of rationalist and biomorphic elements, the triangular black laminate writing surface cantilevers over a cubist stack of drawers raised on sculptural foot; on the opposite end the top is supported by a classic Kagan split leg. The piece is finished on the back to allow floating in a room. This comes out of a Kagan-Dreyfuss designed Manhattan apartment...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsLaminate, Walnut
- Vladimir Kagan DeskBy Vladimir KaganLocated in West Palm Beach, FLA Vladimir Kagan Desk. Quilted maple, brass and Leather. Beautiful Pistachio color Leather. Label present.Category
Vintage 1970s North American Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsMaple
- Oversize Large Important Vladimir Kagan Art Deco Executive DeskBy Vladimir KaganLocated in Rockaway, NJUnusual rare Vladimir Kagan Art Deco style executive desk. Desk is equipped with space lights projecting light through elaborate pair of lucite shades that are also part of the desk ...Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsLucite, Hardwood, Leather
- Magnificent Rare Kidney Shaped Vladimir Kagan Burl Desk Credenza Mid-CenturyBy Vladimir KaganLocated in Pemberton, NJMagnificent Vladimir Kagan Burl and Lucite kidney shaped desk credenza. Very few of these unusual desk/ credenzas were ever made and all were custom made for private collectors. This...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsLucite, Burl
- Vladimir Kagan Style Walnut and Lucite Executive Desk by Gianni, 1970sBy Vladimir KaganLocated in Dallas, TXVery rare, beautiful and substantial desk by Gianni. Very much in the style of Vladimir Kagan and extremely high quality. Done in a walnut top with curved edges (no hard corners!) fl...Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsLucite, Walnut
- Vladimir Kagan Rosewood and Aluminum Desk/Dining TableBy Jens RisomLocated in New York, NYAmazing 1970s Brazilian Rosewood with aluminum stretcher desk with glass top, it can also be use as a dining table with a larger piece of glass, in vint...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsAluminum