Andirons
c. 1790
Medium
Brass
Dimensions
76.2 × 35.6 × 25.4 cm (30 × 14 × 10 in.)
Classification
fireplace equipment
Department
Arts of the Americas
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
62546
Art Historical Context
These elegant brass andirons, crafted around 1790, stand as a testament to the artistry of everyday household objects in late 18th-century America. Measuring an impressive 76.2 × 35.6 × 25.4 cm, this pair of fireplace supports—designed to elevate burning logs for better airflow and to protect hearth floors—exemplifies the functional beauty prized in Federal-era homes. With their unknown maker likely a skilled artisan from the burgeoning workshops of the young United States, the andirons reflect the period's neoclassical influences, favoring clean lines and symmetrical forms inspired by classic...