Pair of Wrought Iron Andirons with Spiral Cage Uprights and Brass Ball Finials. France. Circa 1970.

This pair of wrought iron andirons demonstrates one of the most distinctive and technically demanding techniques of the traditional ironsmith’s repertoire: the spiral cage or lantern form. Each upright is constructed as an openwork cage of twisted iron bars, the vertical elements spiralling around a central axis to create a structure that appears simultaneously light and solid, its geometric regularity providing a counterpoint to the organic curves of the scrolled base.

The cage uprights are surmounted by large polished brass balls — a finishing touch that introduces a material contrast typical of quality French ironwork of the 1960s–1970s, where the combination of blackened wrought iron with polished brass was widely favoured for its warm aesthetic effect. The bases are formed of double scrolled feet in wrought iron, the scrolls curling outward with characteristic confidence to provide a stable and decoratively appropriate support.

Dating to circa 1970, this pair belongs to the tradition of quality French artisanal ironwork that continued to employ the traditional techniques of the forge — twisting, scrolling and riveting — in the production of domestic fireplace accessories of enduring character.