Fender
England or America
1790-1840
Measurements
6-1/2 in x 35 in x 15 in
Materials
Brass and iron
Credit Line
Historic Odessa Foundation, gift of H. Rodney Sharp
Accession Number
1959.3685
Provenance
Ex coll. H. Rodney Sharp
Comments
Fireplace fenders protected the floor and any floor coverings in front from burning embers or worse that may have originated in the fire. This example is basic, having a low screen of iron wires. These wires cross forming a lattice, instead of simply standing upright in parallel. The frame of the fender has an iron rail at the top and bottom, separated by eleven uprights. The iron top rail is wrapped in thin sheet brass.
Metalworking centers in England and the United States made fenders, very few of which are marked or otherwise identified as to their origin. The simplicity of this example also makes it difficult to date.
