A rare and important pair of iron fire dogs designed by Charles Robert Ashbee and made by the Guild of Handicraft, circa 1905.

These fire dogs are illustrated on page 226, Plate 26/1905, of Der Moderne Stil by Julius Hoffmann Jnr. The book illustrates many items from the Arts and Crafts movement and Art Nouveau period, most of which came from pre-1906 European periodicals. The page in question has four images of fireplace related items – fire dogs, fire tools, fire screens, fire kerbs and a large fireside box. The German text translates as “Wrought iron fireplaces, fireplace mantels, fireplace screens and wood holders, designed and manufactured under the direction of C. R. Ashbee, London, for the Guild of Handicraft, Campden.”

Julian Hart at Harts Silversmith’s kindly looked at the Guild of Handicraft archive and was able to find an image of the same fire dog, albeit with a different means of connecting the head. I also found reference to them in an article about the Guild of Handicraft in the Good Housekeeping magazine, Vol. 39, 1904 (image included). Interestingly the firedogs illustrated in 1904 had copper heads. A year later the heads, as seen in Der Moderne Stil, are attached differently are probably iron as opposed to copper. 

The fire dogs were sold by a well known auction house in 2013 and since then have been in the possession of another Antique dealer. It is only thanks to the images in Der Moderne Stil that I can give these fire dogs back their history.

I have never seen another pair for sale and it is hard to know how many were produced. This particular pair have survived well, are in good condition, and really belong in a museum.

Please contact me for the relevant images from Der Moderne Stil.