The cabriole sofa, with its arms and back merged into an elegant, sweeping contour, fully embodies the harmonious aesthetics of Neoclassicism. Its descriptive name, cabriole, referring to its curvilinear contour, is found in pattern and price books. In America this form is uncommon, undoubtedly due to its vulnerable structure and the high cost of fabricating such a complex shape. In New York the cabriole sofa is first recorded in the 1796 price book and then in subsequent editions through 1815. The New York sofas are distinctive for their graceful lines and outward flaring arms.

Technical notes: Mahogany, unidentified inlay; hard maple (cross brace), ash (seat rails, seat rail braces). The molded arm supports are integral with the legs. The crest rail is supported by two banisters, and two large medial braces are dovetailed into the rails. Fragments of original horsehair upholstery survive, and the tacking sequence is reproduced.

Related examples: Singleton 1901, vol. 2, facing p. 466; Antiques 10 (November 1926), p. 391; Antiques 54 (September 1948), p. 129: Antiques 72 (October 1957), p. 284; Winchester 1957a, p. 153; Montgomery 1966b, pp. 300–301, no. 265; White House 1975, p. 83; Bishop 1972, p. 271, no. 419; Antiques 111 (February 1977), p. 225; Antiques 135 (March 1989), p. 557. 

Book excerpt: Warren, David B., Michael K. Brown, Elizabeth Ann Coleman, and Emily Ballew Neff. American Decorative Arts and Paintings in the Bayou Bend Collection. Houston: Princeton Univ. Press, 1998.