I own through inheritance a 5 legged card table with a triple elliptic shape that came down through my mother's family, whose forebears lived outside Albany, NY, from about 1795 to 1828. For what it may be worth, my mother and grandfather referred to the table during their lifetimes as the "Duncan Phyfe table", although it never fit my perception of typical Duncan Phyfe style. However, after much research, I am convinced that it very well could be a Phyfe table, albeit an unusual one.
The characteristics that appear to me to be unique to Phyfe are the reverse curved carved legs and the small brass lion's paw feet. I have only located three other federal tables with this style of reverse curve leg, the two card tables at Yale (Accession Nos. 1930-2004 a,b) and the dressing table described in McClelland's book on Phyfe (Plate 152). These legs are also similar, although table length, to the legs of the window bench at MMA (Accession No. 38.52.3), and to several Sheraton chairs by Phyfe (e.g., Plate II in Cornelius; Brooklyn Museum, Accession No. 42.118.9). All of those pieces are attributed to Phyfe.
Also, the small brass lion's paw feet appear to be peculiar to Phyfe, at least in the New York area. While there are a number of pieces attributed to Phyfe that use this foot, I have only found 3 examples of this foot in non-Phyfe pieces, two from the Boston area (one being the Thomas Seymour 1809 commode), and one which was unidentified, and perhaps English.
At any rate, I am hopeful that some of you are knowledgeable in this period and can help with this mystery. I have additional photographs of various parts of the table if there is something specific that would help. Many thanks.
Donald
