Pair of Art Déco Chiseled Bronze Sporting Dog Andirons on Black Iron Bases

Each andiron of this imposing pair presents a chiseled bronze sporting dog — the animal seated in alert posture with head raised, long pendulous ears falling naturally at either side, and a coat rendered with meticulous chiselling that animates every surface with light and texture. The figures are mounted on rectangular black iron bases from which the log bars extend, the contrast between the warm gilt bronze and the matte black iron emphasising the sculptural quality of the animal subjects.

The chiselling technique — by which the foundry casting is worked over with small tools to sharpen and enrich the surface detail — is executed to a high standard, producing a liveliness and immediacy that sets these andirons apart from more summarily finished examples. The breed represented, with its characteristic long ears and muscular build, belongs to the tradition of French hunting dogs that furnished one of the great themes of Art Déco animalier sculpture.

The French Art Déco period produced some of the finest animal bronzes in the history of decorative sculpture, drawing on the legacy of Barye and the nineteenth-century animaliers while investing familiar subjects with the bold stylisation of the new aesthetic. Fireplace andirons in the form of sporting dogs were among the most popular luxury commissions of the 1920s and 1930s, and the present pair, with its substantial scale and quality of execution, represents the tradition at a high level.

Dimensions: W. 27 × D. 40.5 × H. 30 cm.