Andirons
19th Century French Empire Antique Andirons
Iron, Ormolu
1830s Italian Neoclassical Antique Andirons
Silver, Bronze, Wrought Iron
19th Century British Antique Andirons
Brass
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Andirons
Silver Plate, Brass, Steel
1970s American Vintage Andirons
Brass, Wrought Iron
1850s English William IV Antique Andirons
19th Century American Antique Andirons
Early 20th Century American Andirons
Iron, Nickel
19th Century American American Craftsman Antique Andirons
19th Century English Aesthetic Movement Antique Andirons
Iron, Tôle
19th Century Antique Andirons
20th Century American Hollywood Regency Andirons
Brass
20th Century English Andirons
Iron
Late 20th Century English Georgian Andirons
Brass
Early 1800s American American Colonial Antique Andirons
Brass, Wrought Iron
1880s French Gothic Antique Andirons
Wrought Iron
17th Century French Antique Andirons
Wrought Iron
19th Century Federal Antique Andirons
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Andirons
Iron, Nickel
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Andirons
Steel, Iron
20th Century American Modern Andirons
Brass, Stainless Steel
Early 20th Century Unknown Art Nouveau Andirons
Brass
Early 20th Century French Andirons
Bronze
20th Century American Art Deco Andirons
Iron, Nickel
Mid-20th Century Italian Regency Andirons
Marble, Brass
1850s American American Empire Antique Andirons
Bronze, Steel, Nickel
Early 19th Century American Federal Antique Andirons
Brass
1850s Italian Neoclassical Antique Andirons
Copper, Iron, Nickel
1910s American Georgian Vintage Andirons
Silver Plate
Late 19th Century French Baroque Antique Andirons
Bronze, Gold Plate
19th Century English Antique Andirons
Bronze
Antique and Vintage Andirons
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.