Armchair (one of a pair)
Duncan Phyfe
(American (born in Scotland), 1770–1854)
about 1820
Object PlaceNew York, New York, United States
Medium/TechniqueMahogany, cherry, cane, modern cushion
DimensionsOverall: 81.9 x 52.7 x 61.6 cm (32 1/4 x 20 3/4 x 24 1/4 in.)
Credit LineThe M. and M. Karolik Collection of Eighteenth-Century American Arts
Accession number39.115
On View
On viewClassificationsFurniture
Collections
Among the best-known names in American furniture, Phyfe's progressive business included a large workshop and a retail store. Because of Phyfe's fame, early scholars falsely attributed to his workshop many pieces of New York furniture in the Neoclassical style. Today, scholars struggle to determine what Phyfe made, and what was made by cabinetmakers working in the same style. Based on the carved cornucopia on the crest rails and the cross-legged, curule base-both of which are similar to drawings or labeled pieces by Phyfe-these armchairs and the sofa, exhibited nearby, are attributed to him.
ProvenancePurchased at auction for The M. and M. Karolik Collection of Eighteenth-Century American Arts" and given to the Museum in 1939.
