Pair of Brass and Wrought Iron Duck Andirons, in the Style of Maison Jansen, French, circa 1970

These charming andirons bring together two distinct materials in a single coherent object. The uprights, cast in polished brass, take the form of resting ducks — their plumage rendered with careful attention to the play of light on the surface, their postures naturalistic and serene. The long bars extending behind are worked in wrought iron, functional in their purpose but elegant in their simplicity, providing the structural backbone that holds burning logs above the grate. The combination of materials — warm brass for the ornamental figure, dark iron for the working element — reflects a long tradition of fireplace hardware design in which form and function are held in deliberate tension.

The wildfowl motif in French decorative arts is inseparable from the culture of the maison de chasse — the hunting lodge or country house where the trophies and emblems of the chase informed every element of the interior. Ducks, mallards, woodcock, and pheasant populated not only the painted canvases of the nature morte tradition but also the bronzes, faïences, and cast ironwork that furnished the fireside of the grande propriété de campagne. A pair of duck andirons in this context was as natural a choice as a pair of hounds, and their presence in the hearth carried the same quiet code of identity and belonging.

The piece falls within the aesthetic tradition established by Maison Jansen, the legendary Parisian decorating firm that counted among its clients the courts of Europe, the White House, and the most distinguished private residences of the twentieth century. Jansen’s approach to fireplace accessories was characterised by a refined naturalism and an insistence on quality: animal motifs executed with genuine sculptural skill, hardware in materials of lasting beauty. Pieces “in the style of Jansen” attain a wide market because they transmit this same vocabulary with fidelity, if not the same exclusive provenance.

In good condition with a warm patinated finish. A distinguished choice for a country fireplace, a town house library, or any interior where the pleasures of the countryside are honoured. Length of bar: 42 cm. Height of duck upright: 13.5 cm. Depth: 23.5 cm.