English, Late 18th/Early 19th Century, circa 1780–1810
Approximately 13” L
A wonderfully unusual pair of related Georgian fireside implements, fashioned in brass and iron and terminating in wonderfully sculptural hand- and claw-form gripping terminals. Such tongs were used to retrieve a glowing coal or ember from the hearth, particularly for lighting the long clay tobacco pipes commonly used during the period.
Though closely related in form and scale, the two are individually constructed rather than a true matched pair. Each incorporates long brass shafts, broad spring-form brass handles and hand-riveted construction, while the more elaborate example is further embellished with turned and diagonally fluted brass collars and an early cross-brace mechanism.
Especially appealing are the wonderfully darkened working ends, where generations of exposure to heat and handling have produced a rich contrast between the mellow golden brass and deeply patinated iron, with traces of brass surface remaining on the raised portions of the little hands.
A particularly graphic and engaging survival of the Georgian hearth, combining ingenious early domestic function with the wonderfully eccentric sculptural character prized in early folk and fireplace metalwork.
Condition: Fine untouched surface with expected oxidation, heat discoloration and wear from extensive period use. Mechanisms and construction appear substantially intact. Surface left entirely unpolished.