I found the sofa in a small antique shop in Hope Valley, Rhode Island not far from the wealthy town of Watch Hill in Westerly, Rhode Island. This is a very special and important sofa that retains its original horse, hair fabric, and original surface.
This is a magnificently sculptured deep long sofa with a spiral base rail that is carved in the center and works its way up through the arm supports and diminishes to a small terminus. The same with the crest rail, which terminates in small serpent heads that are flanked by winged eagles. The feet are not in the paw foot style that became popular later, but are an eagle foot that is winged, including leaf edge and scrolls above. It looks like these may have been gilt, but now are well-oxidized over. Notice even the back of the foot is fully finished.
I found this piece in the days I was out hunting in the early 1990s. It is a masterpiece of early classical furniture. There is one of these in the White House, see Magazine Antiques May, 1962 p515.
While several of these have been found none are in their original horse hair fabric in untouched condition. It is one of the treasures of our collection I am most fond of.
Height: 34 in. Length: 93 in. Depth: 26 in.
Revised Feb 14, 2026, 10:56 AM