of
beauty, and all its appointments are rendered harmonious with the
furnishings of the home, whether they are modern replicas of the
homesteads of earlier periods or constructed according to the newer art
of the present day.

Andirons and Fire-dogs.

The brazier on a piece of stone in the centre of the room served well
when charcoal was plentiful, and although the smoke ascended amidst the
rafters the heat spread and there was plenty of room for many persons to
assemble "around" the fire. With chimneys built at the side of the house
for convenience, the timber was laid upon the hearth flag. Under the
conditions that appertained when great open chimneys allowed the rain
and snow to fall upon the fire or on the logs laid ready for the
burning, the difficulties of lighting a fire were experienced. Then the
local smith came to the aid of the "domestic" or serf, and hammered into
shape what were termed andirons, their use making it easier to light the
logs, giving a current of air under them, causing them to burn brighter.
The andirons were afterwards called fire-dogs, and in course of time
bars rested on hooks or ratchets, or were laid across the dogs.

[Illustration: FIG. 8.--THREE SINGLE DOGS OR ANDIRONS.]

[Illustration: FIG. 9.--PAIR OF DATED SUSSEX ANDIRONS (1625).

FIG. 10.--PAIR OF SUSSEX ANDIRONS.

(_In the collection of Mr. Wayte, of Edenbridge._)]

There are no records of the earliest inventors of andirons or dogs. It
is quite clear that small fire-dogs were in use in Rome at an early
period; the one illustrated in Fig. 6, measuring 6 3/4 in. in height, of
artistic form, two draped figures being the supports of the arch, is in
the National Museum in Naples, where there are many other beautiful
examples of early Roman metal work. In the seventeenth century some of
the more elaborate ornamental cast brass fire-dogs were enriched with
black and white or blue and white enamel, several varieties of fireside
ornaments being decorated in the same way.

Enamel thus applied to metal is exceptionally valuable, as much as two
hundred guineas being paid for an enamelled pair of fire-dogs. It is the
ordinary forms of cast or wrought dogs with which collectors are mostly
familiar, especially those made in the famous Sussex ironfields, such as
those shown in Figs. 8, 9, and 10, which are of early date, the pair
illustrated in Fig. 9 being dated 1625, the others probably
contemporary. Single examples of similar design