Pair of Neoclassical Brass and Iron Andirons with Pine Cone Finials, in the Style of Maison Jansen, circa 1940

A pair of neoclassical brass and iron andirons of considerable refinement, executed in the distinguished manner of Maison Jansen. Each upright is in polished brass, its column surmounted by a cast pine cone finial of careful detail, the overlapping scales of the pomme de pin executed with a precision that speaks to professional bronzework of the first order. The bases and legs are in blackened iron, their elegant spider form—scrolled feet radiating from a central knop—providing a visual contrast to the warm gold of the brass above that is one of the most characteristic signatures of Jansen’s neoclassical metalwork of the interwar decades.

Maison Jansen, founded in Paris in 1880 by the Dutch decorator Jean-Henri Jansen, became through the first half of the twentieth century one of the most influential and celebrated interior design houses in the world. Its clients included the courts of Europe, the grandest private houses of France, England, and America, and numerous heads of state. Jansen’s neoclassical metalwork—particularly its andirons, fireplace accessories, and furniture mounts—was characterised by exceptional quality of casting and finish, and by a preference for combining polished brass or gilt bronze with lacquered or blackened iron in compositions of controlled elegance. These andirons exemplify that approach.

The pine cone finial—pomme de pin—was among Jansen’s preferred motifs for neoclassical fireplace accessories, its associations with abundance, immortality, and the classical tradition making it an ideal choice for interiors of historical ambition. The pairing of the pine cone with the spider-leg iron base creates a piece that is simultaneously archaeologically informed and practically resolved, the lightness of the iron legs preventing the composition from becoming heavy or ponderous despite the richness of the brass finial above.

In good condition consistent with age, the brass retaining its warm polished finish and the iron its dark, slightly mellowed surface. A pair of genuine quality and historical distinction, suited to any fireplace of neoclassical or transitional character.