Three-Panel Folding Fire Screen in Smoked Glass with Polished Brass Hinges,

This remarkable three-panel folding fire screen is one of the most distinctive expressions of French design aesthetics from the late 1960s and early 1970s, a time when smoked and tinted glass became one of the most sought-after materials in interior decoration. Each panel is made of a rectangular sheet of warm brown-bronze smoked glass, with the three sections joined by prominent square polished brass hinges at the junctions. The result is an object of discreet luxury — translucent, refined, and entirely different from any conventional screen made of mesh or solid panels. The smoked glass allows the glow of the fire to pass through softly and atmospherically, creating a warm amber light play that is far more striking than the opaque effect of a traditional solid fire screen or the purely functional filter of a metal mesh. The polished brass hinges, with their bold proportions and deliberately exposed rather than concealed design, are the main decorative element, their warm golden tone complementing the bronze-grey of the glass panels in a harmonious dialogue of materials, characteristic of the best decorative achievements in France at the time. Measuring sixty-six centimetres wide and fifty-five centimetres high, the fire screen is well proportioned for a standard fireplace opening. The two side panels fold inward on their brass hinges to close the screen compactly, while in the open position, the three panels form a stable self-supporting configuration without feet or additional fixings — the glass itself providing structural rigidity through its thickness and depth. This elegantly simple structural solution fully aligns with the purist and honest design philosophy regarding materials of the era. In very good overall condition, the smoked glass panels are free from chips or cracks, and the brass hinges are...