A RARE PAIR OF FEDERAL CAST AND ENGRAVED BRASS AND WROUGHT-IRON ANDIRONS, Charleston, South Carolina or England, circa 1800

In Bradford L. Rauschenberg essay, "reconsidering Charleston Andirons, Types I and II", Journal of Early Southern Decorative Arts, XVIII, no. 2, November 1992, pp.37-52, he amends his previous work published in the Journal of Early Southern Decorative Arts, "A School of Charleston, South Carolina Brass Andirons", V, no. 1, May 1979, pp. 26-75, in which he attributed this bold form to Charleston, South Carolina.

Period shipping records, from the James Dougla Account book, which came to light provided detailed information as to related andirons being imported and showed that despite London's dependence on the consumption of coal, the English continued to cast brass for export even after 1783 - the date generally accepted as the one when wood was no longer used for heating purposes. The ship "Castle Douglas" set sale for Charleston from London on July 10, 1785 and among its varied cargo was furniture, textiles, ceramics and metalware.

The firm of Taylor & Bailey invoiced the following: "... 1 pair of very neat large new make d[ou]ble Fire dogs with neat Engd. Princess metal oblisk pillars Claw feet vase heads wth. a very neat openwork Eliptic & Scroul [sic] border Engd. £3:13:6, ..."

Though not identical, the andirons, described above, are related to the present pair. For similar sets of andirons see The Regional Arts of the Early South, (Chapel Hill, NC: MESDA, 1991), p. 107, pl 51; Peter, Nancy and Herbet Schiffer, The Brass Book, (Exton, PA: Schiffer Publishing, 1978), p. 61, pl. C; Sotheby's New York, Important Americana, Janaury 23, 2010, sale 8608, lot 463 sold for $20,000, Sotheby's, Important Americana, January 19-21, 1996, sale no. 6800, lot 1489 sold for $43,700; Sandwich Auction House, Sandwich, Massachusetts, May 27, 1995, sold for $52,250.