Grate (Coal grate)

Description

By the mid-eigtheenth century British fireplace hardware received increased attention by architects seeking to unite the stove grate insert with stylish, newly created domestic interiors. Stove grates and ornamented fenders were published in major cabinet maker's design books with frequency from the 1750s, and soon after in metalwork pattern books such as William Glossop, The Stove-Grate Makers Assistant (1771). The existing form of an iron coal basket was merged with functional, ornamental metalwork to provide a shiny, elegant insert even when not in use. The stove grate, also called a chamber, parlor, or dog grate, primarily burned sea coal. The design allowed a draught around the coal and used a cast iron back panel to store heat and protect the masonry. This coal grate (with replaced back panel) has a pierced and engraved brass apron with a central vase of flowers flanked by winged dragons and flowers. This design merges all the British rococo fashions into one: the "Chinese" taste in pierced fretwork, the "antique" taste of paired columns, and the "gothik" taste in the pointed apron scallops and ogee arched column bases.