Architectural wrought iron: shapely decorative accents
Edgar Brandt’s Paon wrought-iron fireplace screen achieved €34,000 ($35,598) plus the buyer’s premium in May 2022. Image courtesy of Quittenbaum Kunstauktionen GmbH and LiveAuctioneers
NEW YORK – Hand-wrought iron farmyard and kitchen tools, worked by blacksmiths over fiery forges, were unadorned until the early 1800s. As the craft evolved, however, wooden cupboards, dowry chests, sideboards and wardrobes were secured with increasingly ornate iron hinges, keys and locks. Realizing that the functional can also be beautiful, blacksmiths ran with the notion, producing all sorts of decorative wonders from wrought iron.
