Description:

American Late Classical Mahogany Box Sofa, 1834-1847, attr. to Duncan Phyfe, New York, cylindrical crest rail, scrolled arm supports, ogee-molded seat rail, convex-molded legs, block feet, h. 31 in., w. 79 1/2 in., d. 28 in. Note: The current lot is very similar to a box sofa made by Duncan Phyfe in 1834 for George and Maria Clark Fox of New York City. The sofa and other seat furniture produced for the young couple are regarded as the earliest documented examples of Phyfe's work in the "Grecian Plain" style of the 1830s and 1840s. Like the Fox sofa, the lot offered here features rectangular legs, scrolled arm supports with molded bosses, and cylindrical arms terminating in square blocks. Among the variations on this sofa are the cylindrical crest rail, substituted for the scrolled crest rail seen on the Fox sofa, the ogee outline of the front seat rail, and the convex molded surfaces on the front of the legs, feet, and arm terminals. These same convex surfaces are found on the front of the plinth bases and feet of other furniture in the Grecian Plain style documented or attributed to Duncan Phyfe, including a sofa table dating 1837-1847, a pier table of similar date that descended in the family of William and Eliza Phyfe Vail, and a cellaret and cheval glass made for John L. and Susan Hampton Manning in 1841. Scrolled supports with molded bosses, which serve as arm supports on the sofa offered here, appear on various types of furniture made by Duncan Phyfe. Ref.: Kenny, Peter M. and Michael K. Brown. Duncan Phyfe: Master Cabinetmaker in New York, pp. 227-228, plate 43; pp. 236-237, plate 48; pp. 240-241, plate 51; pp. 250-252, plate 56; pp. 254-255, plate 58; and pp. 258-259, plate 60.

  • Condition: All lots are sold “As is” and “Where is”. Neal Auction provides condition reports on items with a low estimate over $500 as a courtesy to aid in your bidding decision. No statement regarding age, condition, kind, value, or quality of a lot, whether made orally at the auction or at any other time, or in writing in this catalogue or elsewhere, shall be construed to be an express or implied warranty, representation, or assumption of liability. Completed condition reports are posted as an additional image with the lot. Neal Auction does not give refunds.

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January 27, 2018 10:00 AM CST
New Orleans, LA, US

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $2,999 $100
$3,000 $9,999 $250
$10,000 $49,999 $500
$50,000 $999,999 $5,000
$1,000,000 $1,999,999 $10,000
$2,000,000 $2,999,999 $15,000
$3,000,000 + $20,000