Pair of Cast Iron Chenets with Figurative Anthropomorphic Silhouette, by Raymon

This exceptional pair of cast iron andirons, attributed to Raymond Subes (1893–1970), illustrates the genius of the master blacksmith in imbuing functional objects with sculptural power and poetic invention. Each piece is crafted from a sheet of cast iron cut into a bold anthropomorphic silhouette — a closed circular ring forming the head, angular shoulders spreading halfway up, and widely spaced feet ensuring a stable base. The result simultaneously reads as a stylised human figure, an ancient glyph, and pure abstract sculpture, demonstrating Subes' characteristic ability to transcend the purely decorative. Raymond Subes, who studied at the École Boulle and became one of the most famous French blacksmiths of the 20th century, was recognised throughout his career for his ability to imbue ferrous metals with a stark elegance that combines modernist formal discipline with echoes of the archaic. His andirons, cut from a flat sheet — a technique allowing him to directly transpose the drawing into sculptural form — are among the most sought-after fireplace accessories of his work. The flat silhouette technique gives each piece an almost heraldic clarity, and these examples with closed ring finials and symmetrically spaced feet are characteristically Subes in their formal rigour and ambiguous figuration. The anthropomorphic reading of the form is unavoidable: the ring-head, wing-shoulders, and planted feet evoke both the primitive idols of antiquity and the refined vocabulary of Art Deco and emerging modernist design. This quality of dual resonance — both ancient and modern, archaic and sophisticated — is precisely what makes Subes' fireplace accessories so striking, and so distinctly rooted in their moment in the history of French decorative arts. In very good overall condition, the cast iron retains its black finish.