Gothic Andiron Firedog
Antique 16th Century French Gothic Fireplaces and Mantels
Iron
20th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique 17th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique 17th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique 17th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique 17th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique 17th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique 17th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique 17th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique 17th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique 17th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique 17th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique 17th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique 17th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique 19th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique 17th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique 17th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique 17th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique 16th Century French Gothic Andirons
Iron
Antique 16th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique 17th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique Early 18th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique 18th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique 19th Century English Gothic Andirons
Iron
Antique 17th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique 17th Century French Gothic Andirons
Iron
Antique 17th Century French Gothic Andirons
Iron
Antique 17th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique 17th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique 17th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique Early 18th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique 17th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique 17th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique 17th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique 17th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique 17th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique 17th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique 18th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique 17th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique 19th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique Early 18th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique Early 17th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique 18th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique Early 18th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique Early 18th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique Early 18th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique Early 18th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique Early 18th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique Early 18th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique Early 18th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique Early 18th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique 16th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique Early 17th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique 18th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique 17th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique Early 19th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique 17th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique Early 18th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique Early 18th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Antique Early 18th Century French Gothic Andirons
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Gothic Andiron Firedog For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Gothic Andiron Firedog?
A Close Look at medieval Furniture
The Middle Ages in Europe followed the end of the Roman Empire, and in this time of change, which preceded the Renaissance, furniture was simple and utilitarian, with most homes having only the necessities like chests and benches. Much of medieval furniture, which was often made in oak or walnut, was built for the elite, particularly the emerging merchant class who owned multiple homes.
Life for many in the medieval era was unstable, and furniture was designed to be functional and portable. Peasants worked the fields for affluent landowners and didn’t have access to literature in the way that nobles and people of the church did (women less so than men). The furniture in their modest dwellings was typically limited to cookware and a handful of stools. Foldable chairs, while uncommon in homes of the early Middle Ages and emblematic of wealth, like all other furnishings of the time, allowed for easy transportation of a household. Trestle tables with detachable legs and collapsible beds were designed to be simply moved from place to place.
Medieval blanket chests were among the most important furniture objects and could further serve as tables or even beds. Some ancient traditions were carried forward to build this sturdy furniture, such as turnery. Although the furniture was minimally designed, embellishments like carvings added elegance to the heavy wood pieces. These details sometimes reflected trends in religious art like rose windows.
By the later Middle Ages, storage pieces like chests of drawers were often adorned with high relief carvings, such as geometric and floral motifs. By the 14th and 15th centuries, design had developed to include more involved pieces like cupboards and desks, while benches frequently doubled as chests with hinged seats. Beds also changed in this era from basic boards to four-post designs with large drapes to keep the sleeper warm. These beds and other medieval bedroom furniture were significant status symbols, passed down through families and used as places to conduct business and receive visitors.
Surviving examples of medieval furniture are very rare, yet its distinctive aesthetics influenced later styles like William and Mary and Arts and Crafts.
Find a collection of medieval seating, garden elements, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Finding the Right andirons for You
A set of antique or vintage andirons is a staple accessory, part of the fireplace tools you’ll want to collect for keeping a neat and elegant fireplace in your home.
Using andirons in a fireplace elevates the fire, ensuring more air can get to the logs thus keeping a fire burning longer. Andirons also encourage ventilation and may also prevent smoke from working its way into your living room or bedroom.
Think of these accessories as part of an upright metal support system to optimize your fire. Antique andirons are basically u-shaped brackets with a curved end that come in pairs and are largely quite simple in structure, but the design of this household necessity has improved over time. Outwardly decorative andirons have become available since their debut because one should never underestimate the style quotient of an attractive hearth.
Andirons, which earned the nickname “firedogs” given their similarity in form to a pair of upright canines, are believed to be the oldest fireplace furnishings. They have been used broadly since at least the late Iron Age. Before iron became the material of choice, stone andirons did a suitable job of balancing the logs in a fire and adding a sense of symmetry to the hearth. Fire baskets, like the combination of andirons and a grate, afforded an opportunity to layer logs in a fire rather than delicately stacking them on andirons.
Today, andirons can be found in bronze and brass, too, which contrast wonderfully with a mantel carved from dark marble, for example, and add dimension to what might otherwise be a subdued space. And while people aren’t cooking in the fireplace anymore, andirons’ spit hooks offered an opportunity to roast meat or rest the pokers that you typically would’ve kept fireside.
During the Renaissance, andirons became especially ornate and even figurative, taking on human forms as well as marine life such as dolphins. Art Deco–era andirons are particularly exquisite. While the accessories are frequently characterized by rich geometric angles and sculptural curves, attributes that we know of most Art Deco furniture, artisans of the period also looked to what was by then a long tradition of designing andirons in the shape of animals and reptiles.
Adding fashionable antique or vintage andirons will not only improve the quality of a fire but can also elevate your space as well as the fireside experience. Find modern andirons, Art Nouveau andirons and other varieties today on 1stDibs.