Important Pair of Gothic Wrought Iron Andirons with Fleur-de-Lis

These exceptional fire-dogs — the large tiered andirons whose name evokes the medieval French hearth equipment — are one of the most impressive types of decorative ironwork in the national tradition. Reaching nearly a metre in height, this pair possesses the monumental scale suited to the grand fireplaces of castles for which the neo-Gothic taste of the late 19th century provided the ideal setting. Each fire-dog rises through a succession of tiered trunks, marked at regular intervals by horizontal branches ending in fleur-de-lis — the sovereign heraldic flower of French Gothic ornamentation, here rendered with the direct and vigorous quality characteristic of the best neo-Gothic ironwork around 1900. The top of each post is crowned with an openwork trilobe element, one of the most immediately recognisable motifs in the Gothic repertoire. The bases adopt a tripodal shape with curved feet, providing the stability required by the considerable height of the object. The fire-dog as a functional type dates back to medieval times in France, where such tiered andirons served as supports for roasting and hooks for pots in the grand kitchen hearths of the aristocracy. By the 19th century, their revival was entirely decorative, produced for the vast fireplaces of castles and private hotels whose owners were attached to the Gothic and troubadour styles that had been in vogue since the Romantic period. Objects of rare presence and certain historical resonance, these fire-dogs would impose their authority in any substantial space — whether it be an authentic period fireplace or a contemporary interior that draws from the architectural vocabulary of medieval France.