Pair of Bronze and Wrought Iron Chenets with Fleur-de-Lys Supports. France.

This pair of andirons features one of the most enduring motifs of French heraldic and decorative art: the fleur-de-lis. Each standard is cast in bronze as a large, fully three-dimensional fleur-de-lis — the ribbed central petal rising to a pointed tip, flanked by two large lateral scrolls and two small lower curls at the base — all rendered with considerable sculptural vitality. The fleur-de-lis, long an emblem of the French crown and a symbol of sovereign France, retains in these andirons an aristocratic dignity entirely appropriate for the fireside. The standards rest on forged iron bases with curled feet, ensuring a stable footing while maintaining a decorative coherence with the organic curves of the bronze. The horizontal log holder in forged iron extends backwards in a simple rectangular profile, its raw iron contrasting effectively with the richly worked bronze standards. Dating from around 1940, this pair belongs to a tradition of high-quality French decorative ironwork in which the historical and heraldic vocabularies of the Ancien Régime were preserved and celebrated in the production of quality domestic accessories. The old bronze patina, warm and uniform, enriches the sculpted surfaces with a characteristic depth.