Pair of Chiselled Bronze and Wrought Iron Chenets in Louis XV Style

These andirons illustrate the great French tradition of chiselled bronze andirons, a hearth art that, since the reign of Louis XIV, has been one of the most refined expressions of Parisian foundry and chiselling. Executed in the Louis XV style, each standard features a baluster vase finial with tiered stems, richly chiselled with leafy friezes and gadroons, rising above a constricted neck and an exceptionally elaborate base. This base is composed of interlaced C-scrolls and asymmetrical rocaille elements cast in open relief — a vocabulary characteristic of the Régence and Louis XV styles — through which light passes with a striking decorative effect. The bronze displays the warm golden tone and sharp chiselling typical of 19th-century French foundry, a time when the workshops of Faubourg Saint-Antoine provided faithful reproductions of 18th-century models for the grand interiors of private hotels. The quality of the chiselling is remarkable here, with each volute and acanthus leaf finely delineated. The log holders — the rear supports designed to hold the logs — are forged from iron, in accordance with the tradition of this type of andiron; the iron supports the weight of the wood while the bronze standards face the room. This division of materials is entirely authentic to the tradition of French andirons. A pair of serene authority, these andirons will find their place in any interior inspired by the classic French decorative vocabulary, from the grand salon to the characterful library.