Andiron (2) - Iron, Brass

Pair of cast-bronze and wrought-iron andirons for a fireplace, probably of northern Italian manufacture, dating to the 17th–18th century.

The decorative finish of each andiron’s end consists of a large urn with a ribbed body and a lobed-profile lid, surmounted by a full-round sculpted head reproducing a human face with expressionist features and curly hair. The wrought-iron base features front uprights that terminate in elegant volute scrolls and a rear rod with supporting ledges for the wood. The two pieces show slight asymmetries in the facial details, typical of artisanal production of the period.