Pair of Modernist Steel Andirons with Sinuous Wave-Cut Silhouette. France. Circa 1970.

These andirons are among the most formally inventive examples of French decorative metalwork of the 1970s, a period when a generation of designers pushed the inherited conventions of the craft toward a new expressive freedom. Each piece is cut from a single flat steel plate whose profile is not straight or gently curved but emphatically, repeatedly undulating: a series of sinuous S-curves that travel up the full height of the piece, giving it a silhouette that reads simultaneously as organic, abstract, and deeply dynamic. The form suggests a wave, a flame, a dancing figure, or a free-form biomorphic sculpture; it resists simple categorisation and rewards continued looking.

The technique of cutting flat metal into silhouette forms was central to a current in 1970s European decorative arts that sought to bring sculptural freedom into functional objects. By working in silhouette rather than in volume, the designer could achieve complex formal effects with economy of material, allowing the precise profile of the cut edge to carry the entire expressive weight of the piece. Here, the undulating cut creates a profile that changes dramatically as the viewer moves around it: from directly in front, the full sinuous form reads as a continuous wave; from the side, the flat plate edge is almost invisible, making the piece appear to dematerialise into a thin vertical line.

The base of each andiron is treated with characteristic restraint — a simple stepped or angled foot that provides stability without competing with the extravagant formal energy of the upright above. The wrought iron log bar extends horizontally from the rear, completing the functional requirements of the piece with equal economy. The matte black finish, applied to both pieces, suppresses surface reflection and ensures that attention remains focused on the silhouette and the cut profile rather than on surface effects.

In very good condition consistent with age, retaining their original matte black finish with natural patination. An exceptional pair of high-design 1970s ironwork, with a sculptural presence and formal ambition that makes them outstanding collector’s pieces.