O-6606
•
andiron

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andiron

Specifications

Artists	Paul Beau and the team of the ornamental wrought iron shop (maker) • Gamble Sheridan Lemasnie (Artist)
Date	1923/01/17
Materials	metal, wrought iron
Dimensions (cm)	56.0 (Length) • 106.0 (Width) • 123.0 (Height)
Functions	Temperature control device
Barcode	600813

Andiron

An andiron is a metal grate that prevents large, flaming logs from rolling out of a fireplace. The decorative pair that Paul Beau and his workshop designed for the Parliamentary Reading Room in 1923 are magnificent.

They are 1.23 metres tall and fashioned of metal and wrought iron. A stout base of scrolled design supports two lanterns with swirling flames, which rise to a large medallion with badges of fleur-de-lis and Tudor roses. At the top, a silver-coloured and ball-shaped finial is decorated with maple leaves, and attacked by two angry wyverns — a two-footed dragon often seen in heraldic design.

Paul Beau

Paul Beau (1871–1949) of Montreal was a master metal worker associated with Canada’s Arts and Crafts movement. The movement emerged in Britain in response to the factory production of decorative items and gained popularity in urban centres across the Empire from the 1890s through the 1920s. Because of the emphasis it puts on handcrafted elements and traditional materials, the Arts and Crafts style was especially compatible with the Gothic Revival architecture of the Parliament buildings.

Beau supervised a wrought iron workshop on the grounds of Parliament from 1920 through 1926, where he and his team of artisans produced decorative metalwork for the newly opened Centre Block. Their handiwork is visible throughout the building in the form of fireplace accessories, light fixtures, gates, and railings—even certain door hinges. Beau also created the ornate calendar stand, inkstand and seal press placed on the Clerk’s Table in the House of Commons, combining metals of contrasting colours, a technique that is characteristic of his work.

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