Firescreen
Unknown Artist
ca. 1775
Medium
Mahogany
Dimensions
60 3/4 x 12 1/2 in. (154.3 x 31.8 cm)
Classification
Firescreen
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1925
Accession Number
25.115.28
Art Historical Context
Step into the refined world of 18th American interiors with this elegant *Firescreen*, crafted around 1775 of rich mahogany. Standing at an impressive 60 3/4 x 12 1/2 inches, it was designed to shield against the heat and sparks of an open hearth, a practical necessity in colonial homes heated by roaring fireplaces. The unknown artist's mastery of mahogany—a premium tropical wood imported from the West—highlights the era's luxury craftsmanship, where such pieces signaled wealth and sophistication amid the American Revolution. Mahogany's durability and warm, reddish hue made it a favorite for ...