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Lot Essay
Described as representing “the zenith of the cabinetmaker’s work in his mature ornamented Grecian style” and “an ultimate example of its form,” a pair of pier tables virtually identical to that offered here have been celebrated as masterpieces from the shop of Duncan Phyfe (1768-1854) (Peter Kenny et al., Duncan Phyfe: Master Cabinetmaker in New York (New York, 2011), p. 216; Hirschl & Adler, The World of Duncan Phyfe: The Arts of New York, 1800–1847 (New York, 2011), p. 48). In 1998, Stuart Feld identified a group of Classical forms that outwardly resemble the work of French émigré cabinetmaker Charles Honoré Lannuier (1779-1819) but were made in the Phyfe shop. This table, along with three other nearly identical forms, all display a model probably first made in New York City by Lannuier: With marble top, rosewood veneers, brass ornament, columnar supports, shaped base and leaf-carved paw feet (the three related tables comprise a pair, one of which is privately owned and the other at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and a single example at Gracie Mansion Conservancy; see Kenny et al., p. 86, fig. 97, pp. 216-218, pl. 38; Hirschl & Adler, pp. 48-49, cat. 20, fig. 3). One differential between the Lannuier and Phyfe shops is the carving of the paw feet. Here, and on the other Phyfe-attributed pier tables, the leaf carving emanates upward from the front crease between the leg and foot and terminates in a pronounced scroll. In contrast, feet of the same design from Lannuier’s shop have leaf carving that cascades down from the top of the leg (for an example of Lannuier’s version of this form, see Christie’s, New York, 21 January 2022, lot 389). The die-stamped brass inlaid strips along the upper rails and the base consist of two distinct patterns—a series of “I”s at the top and a series of slanted ovals below. The same brass inlay is seen on the pair discussed above. While such ornament may have been supplied by a specialist and used by several cabinetmakers, it is the combined use of these unusual patterns that support the Phyfe attribution.
While the pair of tables features white marble columns and pilasters and “Belgian black” marble tops, the use of rosewood veneer and white marble for these elements is also seen on the single table at Gracie Mansion (see above). It is probable that the table offered here was originally a pair as the underside of the top bears the inscription N1, suggesting that there was also a table “number 2.” The table is further inscribed Jay on the back of the rear rail. There are very few individuals with the last name “Jay” living in New York State in the 1820 US Federal Census. Thus, while it is speculative, it is possible that this inscription refers to the table’s ownership by John Jay (1745-1829), America’s first Chief Justice, or one of his family members or descendants. Jay retired to Bedford, his home near Katonah, New York in 1801 and is known to have patronized several New York City cabinetmakers.
While the pair of tables features white marble columns and pilasters and “Belgian black” marble tops, the use of rosewood veneer and white marble for these elements is also seen on the single table at Gracie Mansion (see above). It is probable that the table offered here was originally a pair as the underside of the top bears the inscription N1, suggesting that there was also a table “number 2.” The table is further inscribed Jay on the back of the rear rail. There are very few individuals with the last name “Jay” living in New York State in the 1820 US Federal Census. Thus, while it is speculative, it is possible that this inscription refers to the table’s ownership by John Jay (1745-1829), America’s first Chief Justice, or one of his family members or descendants. Jay retired to Bedford, his home near Katonah, New York in 1801 and is known to have patronized several New York City cabinetmakers.