拍品专文
This sofa is one of five or six known related examples. In terms of its carving it is the most similar to examples at Winterthur, see Charles F. Montgomery, American Furniture: The Federal Period (New York, 1966), p. 300, no. 264 and Historic Deerfield, see Fiske Kimball, "Furniture Carvings by Samuel McIntire: II, Sofas," Antiques (December 1930), pp. 498-502, fig. 8. The latter sofa was formerly in the Collection of George A. Cluett. Montgomery mentions two additional sofas owned by Benjamin Ginsburg and Joe Kingig, Jr. The Philadelphia Museum of Art owns a related sofa, but with inlay on the legs and a variation of carving on the scrolled arms (see Kimball, p. 502, fig. 9). A final sofa with a swag drapery-carved panel was advertised by John S. Walton, Inc., Antiques (February, 1967), p. 143
The exquisitely carved elements and contours of this sofa associate it with furniture made in the seaport community of Salem, Massachusetts. Perhaps the most diminutive example of this particular form, this sofa is part of a group that share the same overall design and are carved with a varied assortment of motifs on the crest and legs. The most closely related examples carved with baskets, rosettes and waterleaves are in the collections of Winterthur Museum, Historic Deerfield, Williams College Museum of Art and the Henry Ford Museum.
The carving on this sofa is attributed to Samuel McIntire of Salem (1757-1811). This association is based upon a comparison of furniture and architectural elements owned by the Derby family of Salem for which bills from McIntire survive; other Derby furniture with similar carving is linked to McIntire by association (Swan, 'Where Elias Hasket Derby Bought His Furniture,' The Magazine Antiques (November 1931):280-282; Randall, American Furniture (Boston, 1965), no. 114; Hipkiss, The M. and M. Karolik Collection (Boston, 1941), pp. 74-75. Accounts from 1795 to 1807 between McIntire and Elijah and Jacob Sanderson, the most prosperous cabinetmakers in Federal Salem, also document that McIntire did indeed carve furniture such as chair backs and banisters. Listed in the bills are accounts for the 'carving of roses' probably similar to the roses in the basket, and more to the point, in 1802 and in 1803 McIntire charged the Sandersons for 'carving [a] Sofa and working [the] top rail' (Swan, 'Samuel McIntire and the Sandersons,' The Essex Institute Historical Collections (Salem, 1934), p. 16).
The carved basket motif was illustrated in the printed literature of the Federal era as a decorative addition to the stretchers of pier tables, the central tablets of card tables and the splashboards of sideboards (see illustration; Sheraton, Appendix to the Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer's Drawing Book (London, 1793), plates 4, 11, 14; and a 1788 design in the Cabinet-maker's London Book of Prices (London, 1803), plate 6). McIntire selected this element as a personal trademark perhaps because it allowed for the carving of intricate details which highlighted his apparent talents. Madam Elizabeth Derby was even enthralled with the motif and embroidered a basket with flowers and fruit onto a firescreen carved with a similar basket by McIntire (Randall, no. 114).
McIntire apparently also borrowed ideas for the carved rosettes and the waterleaf elements on the arms from pattern books such as plate 19 of Hepplewhite's The Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer's Guide (London, 1794) (see illsutration). The overall design of the sofa itself, possibly made by the Sanderson as suggested above, essentially mimics the design of Chippendale camel-back sofas with upholstered outward scrolling arms. Rather than upholster the arms, the ends and arm supports were left exposed and were then carved.
The sofa retains an old surface and based upon conservation research was upholstered in black horsehair fabric. The original moss stuffing from the back and arms has been removed and saved and the remaining webbing was kept intact (Israel Sack Conservation Report).
A related sofa with carved central crest motif and rosette carved arms sold in these Rooms Ocotber 13, 1983, lot 294; see also Sotheby's August 14, 1989, lot 339 and January 30-February 2, 1991, lot 1448; Nutting, Furniture Treasury (New York, 1928), no. 1691. The remaining carved sofas of this form are in museum collections. A sofa made for the Ingersoll family of Salem is in the Philadelphia Museum of Art (Philadelphia Museum Bulletin (April 1930); Henry Ford Museum (Bishop, Centuries and Styles of the American Chair (New York, 1972), fig. 371); Historic Deerfield (Lockwood, Colonial Furniture II (New York, 1926), p. 317); Williams College Museum of Art (Winterthur Decorative Arts Photograph Collection, 69.483); The White House (Conger, 1979), plate XIX); a sofa from the Derby family of Salem in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston (Hipkiss, The M. and M. Karolik Collection (Boston, 1941), no. 102); and two sofas in the collection of Winterthur Museum (Montgomery, American Furniture (New York, 1966), nos. 262, 264).
The exquisitely carved elements and contours of this sofa associate it with furniture made in the seaport community of Salem, Massachusetts. Perhaps the most diminutive example of this particular form, this sofa is part of a group that share the same overall design and are carved with a varied assortment of motifs on the crest and legs. The most closely related examples carved with baskets, rosettes and waterleaves are in the collections of Winterthur Museum, Historic Deerfield, Williams College Museum of Art and the Henry Ford Museum.
The carving on this sofa is attributed to Samuel McIntire of Salem (1757-1811). This association is based upon a comparison of furniture and architectural elements owned by the Derby family of Salem for which bills from McIntire survive; other Derby furniture with similar carving is linked to McIntire by association (Swan, 'Where Elias Hasket Derby Bought His Furniture,' The Magazine Antiques (November 1931):280-282; Randall, American Furniture (Boston, 1965), no. 114; Hipkiss, The M. and M. Karolik Collection (Boston, 1941), pp. 74-75. Accounts from 1795 to 1807 between McIntire and Elijah and Jacob Sanderson, the most prosperous cabinetmakers in Federal Salem, also document that McIntire did indeed carve furniture such as chair backs and banisters. Listed in the bills are accounts for the 'carving of roses' probably similar to the roses in the basket, and more to the point, in 1802 and in 1803 McIntire charged the Sandersons for 'carving [a] Sofa and working [the] top rail' (Swan, 'Samuel McIntire and the Sandersons,' The Essex Institute Historical Collections (Salem, 1934), p. 16).
The carved basket motif was illustrated in the printed literature of the Federal era as a decorative addition to the stretchers of pier tables, the central tablets of card tables and the splashboards of sideboards (see illustration; Sheraton, Appendix to the Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer's Drawing Book (London, 1793), plates 4, 11, 14; and a 1788 design in the Cabinet-maker's London Book of Prices (London, 1803), plate 6). McIntire selected this element as a personal trademark perhaps because it allowed for the carving of intricate details which highlighted his apparent talents. Madam Elizabeth Derby was even enthralled with the motif and embroidered a basket with flowers and fruit onto a firescreen carved with a similar basket by McIntire (Randall, no. 114).
McIntire apparently also borrowed ideas for the carved rosettes and the waterleaf elements on the arms from pattern books such as plate 19 of Hepplewhite's The Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer's Guide (London, 1794) (see illsutration). The overall design of the sofa itself, possibly made by the Sanderson as suggested above, essentially mimics the design of Chippendale camel-back sofas with upholstered outward scrolling arms. Rather than upholster the arms, the ends and arm supports were left exposed and were then carved.
The sofa retains an old surface and based upon conservation research was upholstered in black horsehair fabric. The original moss stuffing from the back and arms has been removed and saved and the remaining webbing was kept intact (Israel Sack Conservation Report).
A related sofa with carved central crest motif and rosette carved arms sold in these Rooms Ocotber 13, 1983, lot 294; see also Sotheby's August 14, 1989, lot 339 and January 30-February 2, 1991, lot 1448; Nutting, Furniture Treasury (New York, 1928), no. 1691. The remaining carved sofas of this form are in museum collections. A sofa made for the Ingersoll family of Salem is in the Philadelphia Museum of Art (Philadelphia Museum Bulletin (April 1930); Henry Ford Museum (Bishop, Centuries and Styles of the American Chair (New York, 1972), fig. 371); Historic Deerfield (Lockwood, Colonial Furniture II (New York, 1926), p. 317); Williams College Museum of Art (Winterthur Decorative Arts Photograph Collection, 69.483); The White House (Conger, 1979), plate XIX); a sofa from the Derby family of Salem in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston (Hipkiss, The M. and M. Karolik Collection (Boston, 1941), no. 102); and two sofas in the collection of Winterthur Museum (Montgomery, American Furniture (New York, 1966), nos. 262, 264).