Greene & Greene

Robert Roe and Nellie Celeste Canfield Blacker, Pasadena, CA
Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Otto Bockelmann (second owners of the Blacker House), Pasadena, CA, late 1940s
Mildred Dekema, Pasadena, CA, late 1940s
Thence by descent

William R. Current, Greene & Greene:  Architects in the Residential Style, Fort Worth, 1974, p. 98 (for a related pair of andirons in the Gamble House)
Edward R. Bosley, Gamble House:  Greene and Greene, London, 1992, fig. 58 (for a related pair of andirons in the Gamble House)
Edward R. Bosley, Greene & Greene, London, 2000, p. 111 (for the fireplace in bedroom no. 4 of the Blacker House)

Overall in very good condition. The surfaces were polished in the late 1980s, and have not been subject to cleaning, polishing or fire since. The surfaces throughout with some occasional surface scratches, abrasions and minor surface dings consistent with age and use. There are traces of surface soiling and discoloration throughout, with soil and tarnish in the recessed contours surrounding the raised cloud-form design. The rear wrought-iron log holders with expected discoloration from prior use. The andirons present beautifully in person, and are incredibly dimensional and tactile. A superb rare example of Greene & Greene metalwork.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

These andirons were part of the original furnishings of "Bedroom No. 4" of the Blacker House, a second-floor guest room with an adjacent sleeping porch.  The Greenes' design program for the fireplace in this room featured a large decorative surround of flowering vines articulated in earth-toned Rookwood and Grueby tiles.  A hand-wrought copper hood was chased with a dramatic motif of billowing cloud-like smoke.  The central standards of these andirons are ornamented with a raised abstract cloud-motif which echoes the chased decoration on the hood.  This motif is sensitively rendered in the design drawing for the andirons shown here, and was likely inspired from Japanese sources.  The supports flanking the central standards of the andirons appear to be a modified tsuba shape derived from traditional Asian sword guards. 

Three additional pairs of andirons are presently known which share the same overall form, but exhibit different ornament.  These include a pair of andirons executed for the Blacker master bedroom, which are cast with an ornate composition of naturalistic plants and vines (sold Sotheby's New York, June 8, 2005, lot 138); a pair executed for the master bedroom of the David B. Gamble House, which are cast with an abstract linear composition; and an undecorated pair with a plain mottled surface executed for Charles Sumner Greene's own residence (sold Sotheby's New York, December 17, 2004, lot 332).