Three-Panel Neoclassical Brass and Wire Mesh Folding Fireplace Screen with Arched Centre. France. Circa 1970.

The folding fireplace screen has been a fixture of the well-dressed French interior since at least the eighteenth century, serving the dual purpose of protecting the room from sparks and embers while providing a decorative composition that commands the space of the hearth. This three-panel example, produced in France around 1970, is executed in the neoclassical manner that remained consistently popular throughout the twentieth century for its harmonious proportions and its easy compatibility with period furnishings. The polished brass frame, with its arched central panel, gives the screen a quietly imposing presence that suits a wide range of fireplace dimensions and interior styles.

The structure is designed for both practicality and elegance. The central panel, taller than the flanking leaves, rises to a gentle arch that softens the overall silhouette and refers back to the arched niches, doorways, and chimney-pieces of the Louis XVI and Empire periods. Two hinged side panels fold behind the central section when the screen is not in use, making it easily storable and straightforward to deploy. The brass framing elements are cleanly finished, with moulded profiles that catch the light along their edges, adding a sense of refined detail without ostentation.

The body of each panel is filled with a fine dark wire mesh of small, regular diamonds, the traditional material for fireplace screens. This mesh performs its protective function effectively while remaining visually permissive, allowing the fireplace and its glow to remain partially visible without permitting sparks or ash to escape into the room. The contrast between the polished brass of the frame and the dark tone of the mesh is a classic pairing that has never gone out of fashion.

In very good condition, retaining its original polished brass frame and original wire mesh. A versatile and well-proportioned piece that functions equally well as a working screen or as a purely decorative element at the hearth when the fireplace is not in use.