Log Holder in Tortoiseshell-Effect Lucite and Brass

This log holder represents one of the most distinctive expressions of French decorative design from the early 1970s, combining the opulence of polished brass with the graphic warmth of tortoiseshell-effect Lucite. The basket body is composed of curved amber Lucite panels — each displaying the characteristic deep brown mottling of faux écaille — assembled and riveted with polished brass studs to form a gently cradle-shaped receptacle. The material captures light with a translucent depth that genuine tortoiseshell can rarely equal.

The structure is completed by three small cylindrical brass feet that elevate the body from the hearth floor, and by a tall, boldly arched handle in polished brass rising from a horizontal crossbar fixed across the full width of the opening. This architectural handle — proportioned with the assurance of mid-century design — transforms a purely utilitarian object into a sculptural statement, recalling the formal vocabulary of makers such as Maison Jansen and the luxury interiors of the period.

Tortoiseshell Lucite was a favoured material among French decorators of the 1960s and 70s, prized for its association with mid-century glamour and as an ethical substitute for genuine écaille. Its pairing with polished brass — the prestige metal of the era — produced objects of remarkable visual warmth, ideally suited to the fireside setting for which this log holder was conceived.

A refined and wholly coherent object, this piece would make an elegant addition to any interior in which the aesthetic of French decorative arts of the 1960s–70s is celebrated.