Description:

Important American Classical Bronze Mounted Mahogany Secrétaire Abattant
, early 19th c., attr. Duncan Phyfe, New York, marble top, arched frieze, book matched veneer, fall-front paneled door, fitted interior, paneled cabinet doors, columnar supports, lobed feet, h. 59 1/8 in., w. 43 in., d. 19 1/2 in.

Inscription on interior drawer notes: this desk was made for banker Eugene Kelly c. 1830 then passed by marriage through his daughter Eugenia to James A. G. Beales of New York.

  • Provenance: The Abattant offered here at Neal Auction is very closely related to Christie's Lot# 1297 Jan. 18th 2019. Abattant with original bill of sale from Duncan Phyfe to J.E. Haight, dated April 20th, 1832
    The Secretaire à Abattant is a distinct neo-classical French form that appeared in the last quarter of the 18th century. In the United States, French émigré craftsmen working in New York such as Charles-Honoré Lannuier and the Scotsman Duncan Phyfe were influenced by designs published in Pierre de la Mésangère's Collection des Meubles et Objets de Goût editions between 1802 and 1826, including plate 57 from the 1803 version, in which Mésangère highlights the use of large sheets of figured veneers, ormolu capitals and bases on the columns, and ormolu appliqués on the friezes.

    Ref.: Peter M. Kenny and Michael K. Brown. Duncan Phyfe: Master Cabinetmaker in New York. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011, p. 214, pl.37; Tom Armstrong. An American Odyssey, The Warner Collection of American Fine and Decorative Arts. New York: The Manacelli Press, 2001, p. 205. "32
  • Dimensions: h. 59 1/8 in., w. 43 in., d. 19 1/2 in.
  • Condition: Nice all finished with good patina. Structurally sound. Scattered nicks chips and scratches throughout. Consistent with aging use. Scattered old and new year repairs. With desk open d. 38 in.

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November 22, 2024 11:00 AM CST
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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 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $29,999 $1,000
$30,000 $49,999 $5,000
$50,000 $99,999 $10,000
$100,000 + $20,000