Brass Duck Head Fireplace Tools in the Style of Maison Jansen, French Work, circa 1970

This brass fireplace tool set, adorned with duck heads, is a French creation of the 1970s directly inspired by the animalistic aesthetic that Maison Jansen brought to its highest degree of refinement. The duck, a bird whose iridescently feathered head offers a form naturally suited to decorative interpretation, constitutes here a unifying motif throughout the composition — from the head of the stand to the handles of each tool.

Polished brass, the preferred material of the great Parisian decorative art houses of the twentieth century, is here worked with goldsmith-like precision. Each duck head is cast and chiselled with care, the anatomical details of the beak and plumage rendered with a naturalistic concern characteristic of the French tradition of art casting. This quality of execution places this ensemble well above the standard production of the period.

In the tradition of the animalistic aesthetic so dear to Maison Jansen, this fireplace tool set combines utility and beauty with a typically French elegance. It will constitute a characterful piece before any fireplace, testifying to a discerning taste for decorative arts and exceptional craftsmanship.