Pair of Wrought Iron Goat Andirons in the Style of Édouard Schenck

A superb pair of wrought iron andirons of pronounced sculptural character, designed in the manner of Édouard Schenck, the French ironwork artist whose bold figurative andirons became celebrated icons of post-war decorative arts. Each andiron takes the form of a stylised goat rendered in flat silhouette: the body is a planar profile in cut and forged iron, raised on four splayed, angular legs, while the head is crowned with a pair of dramatically sweeping curved horns that rise high above the back—the most arresting element of an already striking composition.

The flat-profile technique—presenting the animal as a graphic two-dimensional silhouette rather than a fully three-dimensional sculpture—gives these andirons an almost heraldic quality, the bold black iron forms reading as powerful graphic images against the fireplace surround. This approach was perfected by Schenck, who recognised that the language of the hearth called for strong, simple forms legible from across a room.

Édouard Schenck (1898–1979) was one of the defining figures of French post-war decorative ironwork, producing andirons, fireplace accessories, and sculptural objects in wrought and cast iron that combine vigorous figural invention with masterful metalwork technique. Animals—goats, bulls, horses, deer—were among his favoured subjects, rendered with a modernist economy that distils the essential character of each creature into pure form.

A highly decorative and collectable pair, in excellent condition, that would animate any fireplace with drama and sculptural presence.