Andirons
Probably New York, New York
1775-1800
or possibly 20th century
Measurements
25-3/4 in x 13-1/2 in x 21 in
Materials
Brass and iron
Credit Line
Historic Odessa Foundation, gift of H. Rodney Sharp
Accession Number
1959.3586
Condition Notes
The andirons exhibit no visible evidence of wear or use.
Provenance
Ex coll. H. Rodney Sharp
Comments
The andirons are made of thick sheets of iron forming a baluster over a rectangular plinth. The curved legs end in disc feet. The andiron "heads," as the three-dimensional brass finials were called, display a swirled flame above a faceted ball (see accession no. 1958.3215 for this design). Donald Fennimore cites a 1768 New York City newspaper advertisement the sale of such parts in Metalwork in Early America: Copper and Its Alloys from the Winterthur Collection (1996), p. 145.
The fine condition of the iron parts of these andirons raise the possibility that they are 20th century reproductions.
