ATTRIBUTED TO THE SHOP OF DUNCAN PHYFE (1768-1854), NEW YORK, 1810-1820

Rare in form and design, this set of side chairs represents a style made by well-known New York cabinetmaker Duncan Phyfe and identified as the "slipper chair" in Nancy McClelland's Duncan Phyfe and The English Regency (New York, 1939), fig. 274. Small in scale and presenting a shape similar to ancient Greek inspired klismos chairs, the splat incorporates a simple central plate with double scrolls leading to side rails of a bold twisted detail. While the seats of these chairs are caned, they were at one time most likely upholstered with an intricate needlework design. A similar chair attributed to Phyfe is also illustrated in John L. Scherer, New York Furniture at the New York State Museum (New York, 1983), fig. 38.