Adrian Pearsall Coffee Table, ca. 1960
GUEST:
Well, I owned it for quite a few years before I realized I saw it in a design magazine-- I'm a designer. It's a Vladimir Kagan, mid-century.
APPRAISER:
More than anything, this table and tables like this have come to be the emblem of mid-century modern. Mid-century modern has become this buzzword, and also sometimes referred to as the Atomic Age. This kind of kidney bean-shaped glass top, an asymmetrical base, with these kind of soaring cantilevered arms are very emblematic of the entire period. I've got some good news and some bad news.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
First the bad news. The bad news is this is not by Vladimir Kagan.
GUEST:
Oh, wow!
APPRAISER:
Although, I showed a table like this to Vladimir Kagan a few years ago, and ever the gentleman, he said, "It's not by me, but I wish it was."
GUEST (gasps): Wow.
APPRAISER:
Which is high praise. Kagan's work was hand-crafted and sold in small numbers. This table was designed by Adrian Pearsall for a company called Craft Associates. And for every one Kagan table that you see out there, there's probably 150 of these.
GUEST:
Oh.
APPRAISER:
And I think what Vladimir Kagan was saying to me was that he wished he had designed it, because it was much more successful. And, if anything, this table sort of out-Kaganed Kagan. And Adrian Pearsall was a great designer in his own right. He was a contemporary of Vladimir Kagan. He started this company in 1952, and was taking elements of different designers. And he had an uncanny knack for what the market wanted and what would sell. When it was originally designed, it was such a bestseller for the company that he put it on his letterhead. So on his letterhead, where it says, "Craft Associates, from the desk of Adrian Pearsall" on his letterhead, there's a little small logo in the corner, of this table. Now, the good news is that Adrian Pearsall's work is becoming very popular. And there's a lot of collectors who are just starting to seek it out. So it's on the rise, it's going up in value. Craft Associates was producing this type of table between the mid-1950s and the mid-1960s. This example is in fantastic condition. The solid walnut base is nicely oiled, hasn't been refinished or repainted, really is a great survivor. How have you used it all these years?
GUEST:
I have used it in my own house. I found it in a thrift shop in the '80s. I saw the base, the glass was sitting over to the side, and I said, "Oh, I'll take the glass, too." I think it was... $25, or $20, I think.
APPRAISER:
Oh, that's great. Do you have any idea of its value?
GUEST:
No, because I took it to a store once here in Palm Springs, and he thought it was a Kagan, and he looked it up online, and he thought 1,600 at the time. That was a few years ago.
APPRAISER:
Several of these have shown up recently at well-publicized mid-century modern auctions, and they tend to sell between $900 and $1,200 at auction.
GUEST:
Good.
APPRAISER:
Retail, if you went to any of these shops that specialize in this period, you could easy see them priced at about $1,600 retail.
GUEST:
Great.
APPRAISER:
If this was a work by Vladimir Kagan, it would be worth between $5,000 and $6,000 at auction.
Appraisal Details
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