Pair of andirons
Not on view
Fire dogs, or andirons, have a strong, raised projection across which logs are laid in an open, wide-chimney fireplace. The generous silver fronts on these andirons are not functional but would have been eye-catching in a great room.
When ornamented, iron fire dogs were typically fronted with brass or, occasionally, enamel on brass. These pieces by Benjamin Pyne are two rare survivals in silver. Pyne had a long career as a goldsmith in London and much of his work for municipalities and churches has survived; in 1715, he was appointed Subordinate Goldsmith for the coronation of the first Hanoverian king, George I, and in 1725 he was elected Prime Warden of the goldsmiths' guild.
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