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Window Seat

1841
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 736
This architectural window seat is one of four from Millford, the Greek Revival mansion built in 1841 for plantation owner John Laurence Manning in South Carolina. On a visit to New York City, Manning ordered a large set of furniture from cabinetmaker Duncan Phyfe, who provided high-style furnishings to customers around the country. The sleek, curvaceous lines of this window seat exemplify the prevailing Grecian Plain style popular during the 1820s to 1840s. The curved forms and decorative motifs reference ancient Greek art and architecture as well as classical notions of beauty and patriotism, ideals that were widely celebrated as the United States cultivated a national style.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Window Seat
  • Artist: D. Phyfe & Son (1840–1847)
  • Date: 1841
  • Geography: Made in United States
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Rosewood veneer; pine, yellow poplar (secondary woods); reproduction upholstery with original upholstery foundation
  • Dimensions: 18 x 43 x 16 in. (45.7 x 109.2 x 40.6 cm)
  • Credit Line: Gift of J. Nicholas Wilson, 2006
  • Object Number: 2006.400
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

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Side chair, D. Phyfe & Son American, Rosewood, rosewood veneer, ash (secondary wood), reproduction upholstery, American
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D. Phyfe & Son
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Side chair, D. Phyfe & Son American, Rosewood, rosewood veneer; secondary wood: ash, American
Side chair
D. Phyfe & Son
1841
Crib, D. Phyfe & Son American, mahogany veneer and mahogany, American
Crib
D. Phyfe & Son
1840–47
Sofa, John Henry Belter American, Rosewood, Rosewood veneer; chestnut, pine (secondary woods); modern upholstery with some original underupholstery, American
Sofa
John Henry Belter
J. H. Belter & Co.
1850–60
Cabinet, Alexander Roux French, Rosewood, tulipwood, cherry, poplar, pine, American
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Alexander Roux
ca. 1866

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