Neoclassical Steel, Brass and Mesh Fireplace Screen with Bronze Pine Cones, French Work, circa 1940

This neoclassical style fireplace screen, combining steel, brass and metal mesh, is an eloquent example of French interwar fireplace furniture. Both a functional and decorative accessory, the fireplace screen protects the interior from sparks and flames whilst constituting a genuine decorative element when the hearth is unlit. Made around 1940, this example combines structural sobriety with ornamental refinement in the French neoclassical tradition.

The bronze pine cones that adorn the composition constitute the most remarkable decorative detail of this piece. Symbols of fertility, immortality and light in the classical iconographic repertoire, pine cones were a highly favoured motif in French decorative arts of the 18th and 19th centuries, whose use was perpetuated with great success by interwar craftsmen. Their execution in cast bronze contrasts elegantly with the coolness of steel and the warmth of polished brass.

The metal mesh, the quintessential functional element of the fireplace screen, is here integrated into an architectured composition that lends it an aesthetic value of its own. The ensemble forms a decorative picture of great coherence, testifying to the craftsmanship of French artisans specialising in fireplace accessories.