EARLY 19TH CENTURY CLASSICAL MAHOGANY CACHE POT IN ORIGINAL SURFACE AND THE BEST TALON FEET- MUSEUM QUALITY - ATTRIBUTED PHYFE
Thank you for shopping with Bay Colony Antiques. We're a third generation family owned business furnishing homes all over the world. We're delighted and honored in the highest regard to offer for sale this wonderful and rare early 19th century classical mahogany cache pot in original surface with the best carved talon feet and classical elements. This was truly an exceptional find. We can't say we encounter these too often and we handle a magnitude of items year in and year out.
This stand was created in the first quarter of the 19th century, we have it right around 1810 made in one of the big port cities with proficient cabinet makers who could've created such a stand and with wealthy clientele who would've been able to have such a treasure commissioned. We believe this was created by renowned NYC cabinet maker Duncan Phyfe or one of his close contemporaries. There's a very short list of shops with the means and skills to create such a stand that worked in such a high classical style. Rarely are Phyfe pieces found with an attached label, the quality of the neoclassical work was his calling card. This masterful work was clearly a labor of love where no expense was spared.
This cache pot is crafted in mahogany with a very pretty desirable flame mahogany veneer being used at the base. The slender molded legs show a refined planned out elegance and a true understanding of cabinet making dynamics and execution. The stand sits upon a three legged talon foot base with some of the best, crisp, detailed carvings. The talon foot grasps a compressed ball with might and intent. The legs are further accented with carved acanthus leaves terminating in Grecian scrolls. The body of the vessel is highly carved with classical Greek keys, highly detailed acanthus leaves, and a wonderful relief carved scallop. The cache pot retains it's original tin liner which can be removed with ease.
This is without a question one of the rarest and fine period classical furnishings being offered in the country. We traverse the United States looking for treasures such as this and they simply don't surface. The few examples that do remain are snapped up by institutions or astute collectors quickly. The stand is in it's original finish with only the most minor of yellowing finish at the base but we'll take that every day of the week over a refinished example. The 200+ year old exotic wood shows small shrinkage lines as expected with the age and foreign climate. We wholeheartedly believe these condition matters are minutia when examining the importance of this piece however we practice a 100% disclosure of anything we note no matter how small or inconsequential they may be. The stand is 45" tall and a 20 1/2" diameter at the base.
