Very Fine and Rare Federal Carved Mahogany Sofa, attributed to Henry Connelly (1770-1826), Philadelphia, circa 1805

American Art Association, New York, The Reifsnyder Collection, American Furniture, April 24-27, 1929, lot 540;
Thomas Curran, Philadelphia;
Mrs. Frederick Fish, South Bend, Indiana;
Sotheby's, New York, The Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Walter M. Jeffords, October 28, 2004, sale 8016, lot 291;
Charles Manning, Philadelphia;
Sotheby's, New York, Important Americana, January 22, 2010, Sale 8608, lot 511;
Philip H. Bradley Co., Downingtown, Pennsylvania.

House and Garden, August 1927
Wallace Nutting, Furniture Treasury, (New York: The MacMillan, 1928), pl. 1709, 1725;
Edward Stratton Holloway, American Furniture and Decoration: Colonial and Federal, (Philadelphia and London: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1928), pl. 104;
Carson, Marian, "Sheraton's Influence in Philadelphia: The Parallel Works of Henry Connelly and Ephraim Haines," in Philadelphia Furniture and Its Makers, edited by John Snyder, (New York: Maine Street/Universe Books, 1975), p. 85;
Philip H. Bradley Co. advertisement, The Magazine Antiques, (November/December 2010) 34.

Wear commensurate with age and use. There are two small patches to the underside of the seat rail and a larger 7" by 3" patch to the interior/top of the back seat rail. The three curved stretchers are replaced to the underside. Secondary wood: ash Height 33 1/2 inches Depth: 30 inches
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Representing a popular sofa form in Federal America, this elegant sofa follows the general outline for square sofas published by Hepplewhite and Sheraton. The carved and reeded legs with bulbous knees and spade feet are distinctly of Philadelphia origin, where legs of a nearly identical pattern are found on furniture made by Henry Connelly (1770-1826). In 1804, Connelly made a set of armchairs with legs of this type for Mayor Thomas Willing (1731-1821) of Philadelphia (see James Biddle, American Art from American Collections, New York, 1963, p. 15). Two other chairs thought to stem from this set are offered as lot 865 in this sale. A sideboard with legs of the same pattern was made by Connelly in 1806 for Henry Hollingsworth (see Marian Carson, "Sheraton's Influence in Philadelphia: The Parallel Works of Henry Connelly and Ephraim Haines," in Philadelphia Furniture and Its Makers, 1975, p. 85). Ephraim Haines made a set of seating furniture with remarkably similar legs for Stephen Girard in 1806-1807, with Barney Schumo working as the turner and John R. Morris as the carver (see Carson, p. 84). Schumo and Morris appear to have worked independently, as the Haines accounts indicate, and probably produced identical turnings and carvings for multiple cabinetmakers (David Barquist, American Tables and Looking Glasses, New Haven, 1992, p. 293).