Duncan Fife was born in Scotland in 1768 where he served as a cabinetmaker's apprentice but immigrated with his family to Albany, New York in 1784. After changing the spelling of his name to Phyfe, he opened his own business in 1794 and became a famous furniture maker. Known during his lifetime as the "United States Rage", he made Neoclassical furniture for the social and mercantile elite of New York, Philadelphia, and the American South where he was particularly popular.
While he may not have developed a style of furniture, he refined and elevated Neoclassical pieces, bringing them to the United States, and leaving a lasting impression of what fine furniture looks like. His pieces echo through what we consider "antique furniture" to be today.
A hallmark of his furniture was the lyre motif which you can see below on a chair splat, the base of a game table, and the sides of a bench.
Another feature of Phyfe furniture is the curved X-shape on the legs and backs of the curule chair, a design that dates back to ancient Rome.
Here is an ancient Roman coin showing Emperor Tiberius seated on a curule seat!
Happy designing!
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