Andiron
Unknown Artist
1700–1800
Medium
Iron
Dimensions
18 3/4 x 17 1/2 x 10 3/4 in. (47.6 x 44.5 x 27.3 cm)
Classification
Andiron
Culture
American or British
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. J. Insley Blair, 1949
Accession Number
49.73.5
Art Historical Context
Step into the warm glow of an 18th-century hearth this striking iron andiron, crafted between 1700 and 1800 by an unknown artisan. Measuring a robust 18 3/4 x 17 1/2 x 10 3/4 inches, it was designed as one of a pair to support burning logs in fireplaces, which served as the heart of colonial homes for cooking, heating, and gathering. Likely American or British in origin, this piece reflects the essential craftsmanship of the era, when iron forges produced both utilitarian objects and subtle decorative flourishes amid the challenges of transatlantic trade and frontier life. Forged from durable...