Stock No: 13191

A pair of very rare Regency gilt and patinated bronze wyvern andirons. The winged mythical creatures, their long tails wrapped around the bar and standards, sit on three sided ornate, scrolled mounts supported on small ovoid feet.

Wyverns were legendary winged creatures who had dragon's heads, reptilian bodies and barbed tails and walked upright on two legs. Frequently used in English Heraldry they can be seen for example in the Coat of Arms of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough and those of the City of Leicester. They were and still are often mistaken for dragons, who were also winged with serpentine or reptilian bodies, but who had four legs.

French, or possibly English, early 19th century.

Notes: As these wyverns do not have barbed tails they could be the descriptive outcome of a confusion or fusion between the Chinese and European dragons that began to appear during the Regency period.

Link to: Antique Andirons, Fire Dogs, Alare and Chenets