Vladimir Kagan Bilbao
Late 20th Century American Modern Sofas
Upholstery, Wood
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Upholstery, Wood
Early 2000s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Bouclé, Wood
1990s American Post-Modern Swivel Chairs
Bouclé, Upholstery
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Upholstery
1990s American Post-Modern Chaise Longues
Bouclé, Upholstery
Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Sofas
Ultrasuede
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Swivel Chairs
Upholstery
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Swivel Chairs
Upholstery
Early 2000s American Post-Modern Swivel Chairs
Mohair, Upholstery
1990s American Post-Modern Swivel Chairs
Fabric, Upholstery
1990s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Upholstery, Hardwood
1990s American Mid-Century Modern Swivel Chairs
Upholstery
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Upholstery, Wood
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Wood, Leather
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Swivel Chairs
Metal
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Leather, Fabric
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Canapes
Fabric, Cotton, Upholstery, Wood
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
Upholstery
Vintage 1960s North American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Upholstery
People Also Browsed
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Vitrines
Vintage 1960s Canadian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Wool, Walnut
2010s South African Modern Dining Room Chairs
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Benches
Fabric, Velvet, Lacquer, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Center Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Sofas
Brass
Antique Late 19th Century French Wall Mirrors
Giltwood
Vintage 1970s American Modern Sofas
Upholstery, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Sectional Sofas
Bouclé, Walnut
1990s American Post-Modern Sofas
Bouclé, Upholstery
1990s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Ultrasuede
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Polyester
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Fabric
Mid-20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Sets
Birch
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Art Deco Beds and Bed Frames
Fabric, Velvet, Wood
Recent Sales
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Ultrasuede
1990s American Modern Sofas
Upholstery
Late 20th Century American Art Deco Swivel Chairs
Ultrasuede
Late 20th Century American Sofas
Fabric, Ultrasuede
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
1990s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Upholstery
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Fabric, Textile, Wood
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Fabric, Textile, Wood
20th Century American Sofas
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Fabric, Textile, Wood
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Fabric, Textile, Wood
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Fabric, Textile, Wood
1990s American Sofas
Ultrasuede, Wood
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Fabric, Textile, Wood
1990s American Chairs
Ultrasuede, Wood
20th Century American Swivel Chairs
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Fabric, Textile, Wood
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Fabric, Textile, Wood
Late 20th Century American Swivel Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Upholstery, Wood
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Upholstery, Wood
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Upholstery, Wood
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Ultrasuede
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Ultrasuede
Late 20th Century Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Upholstery
Late 20th Century Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Upholstery
1990s American Post-Modern Sofas
Upholstery
1990s American Modern Sofas
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Fabric, Textile, Wood
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Fabric, Textile, Wood
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Fabric, Textile, Wood
1990s Post-Modern Sofas
Leather
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Chaise Longues
Ultrasuede
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Velvet, Wood
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Upholstery
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Swivel Chairs
Bentwood, Cotton, Polyester
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Swivel Chairs
Upholstery
1990s American Lounge Chairs
Upholstery
1990s American Modern Sectional Sofas
Fabric, Mohair
Vintage 1980s American Post-Modern Swivel Chairs
Wood, Bouclé
Late 20th Century American Sofas
Mohair, Wood
Vintage 1980s Sofas
1990s American Modern Sofas
Chenille
Late 20th Century Sofas
Vintage 1980s American Modern Sofas
Velvet
1990s Sofas
Vintage 1970s American Swivel Chairs
Wood
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Fabric
20th Century American Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood
1990s American Modern Sofas
Fabric, Velvet
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Upholstery, Velvet
Vladimir Kagan Bilbao For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Vladimir Kagan Bilbao?
Vladimir Kagan for sale on 1stDibs
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.
Finding the Right Seating for You
With entire areas of our homes reserved for “sitting rooms,” the value of quality antique and vintage seating cannot be overstated.
Fortunately, the design of side chairs, armchairs and other lounge furniture — since what were, quite literally, the early perches of our ancestors — has evolved considerably.
Among the earliest standard seating furniture were stools. Egyptian stools, for example, designed for one person with no seat back, were x-shaped and typically folded to be tucked away. These rudimentary chairs informed the design of Greek and Roman stools, all of which were a long way from Sori Yanagi's Butterfly stool or Alvar Aalto's Stool 60. In the 18th century and earlier, seats with backs and armrests were largely reserved for high nobility.
The seating of today is more inclusive but the style and placement of chairs can still make a statement. Antique desk chairs and armchairs designed in the style of Louis XV, which eventually included painted furniture and were often made of rare woods, feature prominently curved legs as well as Chinese themes and varied ornaments. Much like the thrones of fairy tales and the regency, elegant lounges crafted in the Louis XV style convey wealth and prestige. In the kitchen, the dining chair placed at the head of the table is typically reserved for the head of the household or a revered guest.
Of course, with luxurious vintage or antique furnishings, every chair can seem like the best seat in the house. Whether your preference is stretching out on a plush sofa, such as the Serpentine, designed by Vladimir Kagan, or cozying up in a vintage wingback chair, there is likely to be a comfy classic or contemporary gem for you on 1stDibs.
With respect to the latest obsessions in design, cane seating has been cropping up everywhere, from sleek armchairs to lounge chairs, while bouclé fabric, a staple of modern furniture design, can be seen in mid-century modern, Scandinavian modern and Hollywood Regency furniture styles.
Admirers of the sophisticated craftsmanship and dark woods frequently associated with mid-century modern seating can find timeless furnishings in our expansive collection of lounge chairs, dining chairs and other items — whether they’re vintage editions or alluring official reproductions of iconic designs from the likes of Hans Wegner or from Charles and Ray Eames. Shop our inventory of Egg chairs, designed in 1958 by Arne Jacobsen, the Florence Knoll lounge chair and more.
No matter your style, the collection of unique chairs, sofas and other seating on 1stDibs is surely worthy of a standing ovation.