Pair of Wrought Iron and Gilt Cast Iron Flame Andirons, in the Style of Gilbert Poillerat

This exceptional pair of flame andirons, executed in wrought iron with gilt cast iron finials modelled as tongues of flame, represents one of the most distinguished categories of French mid-century decorative ironwork: the chenets flamme, a form with roots in the Empire period but brought to its highest refinement by Gilbert Poillerat (1902–1988), the supreme master of decorative metalwork in twentieth-century France. The pair dates to circa 1940, placing it at the very height of the Poillerat period and within the broader flowering of French decorative arts that persisted through the decade.

The uprights are formed from dark wrought iron shafts enriched with a twisted section, creating a rich play of light along the column — a technique drawn from the vocabulary of traditional French blacksmithing but elevated here to a refined decorative register. The flame finials — cast separately in iron and finished with a warm gilt patina — crown each column with a burst of light and movement, the spreading tongues of flame creating a silhouette of considerable drama against any fireplace surround. The contrast between the dark iron column and the warm gold of the flame is a signature element of the Poillerat aesthetic and one of the most effective material juxtapositions in French Art Deco metalwork.

The base of each andiron is composed of a tripartite foot structure, each scrolled foot extending outward to provide stable support on the hearthstone, with the log bar projecting at the correct depth of 43.5 centimetres to support firewood. The proportions are carefully considered: at 62.5 centimetres tall, these are andirons of genuine presence, tall enough to fill a substantial chimney opening with authority while remaining formally coherent at any viewing distance.

Gilbert Poillerat is today recognised as one of the great masters of twentieth-century applied art, and his flame andirons in particular are among the most sought-after objects in this field, achieving significant prices at the leading Parisian auction houses. This pair, with its excellent proportions, gilded flame finials, and strong formal coherence, would be a distinguished addition to any collection of French Art Deco or mid-century decorative arts.