Description:
Serpentine-shaped pierced brass fender with two side returns. Unattached fenders for the fireplace began to appear in the second half of the 17th century to provide additional protection to floor boards from sparks and falling logs. By the middle of the 18th century, polished or 'bright' steel and brass fenders and grates were often finely pierced and engraved to match the fretwork aprons of grates, and designs appeared in metalwork and furniture books. Robert Adams, who wanted to create unified decoration, designed grates en suite with fenders which were made to fit fireplace openings. These fireplace fenders were made in large quantities both in England and the United States from the late 18th through the 19th century. Fenders were rarely marked, and there seems little apparent difference between English and America fenders. The top and bottom have molded edges and a row of beading; and the center section has fifteen panels of short vertical bars connected to the top and bottom edges with round balls, and six applied engraved oval bosses - one at each end and one between every three panels. There is a short iron bottom plate or "shoe" along the front curve, which was introduced about 1750 to protect the now much smaller hearthstone.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+54.213 |
