Cast iron coal scuttle with mascaron, Brussels foundry, Neo-Renaissance (4115)

Cast iron coal scuttle with mascaron — Neo-Renaissance, Brussels foundry

This heavy cast iron coal and ash scuttle (cast iron coalbox) is a striking piece crafted in the Neo-Renaissance style, where 19th-century foundry masters combined a practical fireplace accessory with rich, almost architectural, decoration. The dark patina of the metal deeply holds the relief — a grotesque face, shell, and acanthus scrolls — serving both the hearth and the eye simultaneously.

Dimensions: length 56 cm · height 33 cm · width 38 cm.

Period of Manufacture 19th century, Belgium. The item bears the foundry’s mark with the city name Bruxelles (Brussels); the full foundry name on the cartouche is not clearly legible.

Construction and Decoration The hinged rear plate of the scuttle is crowned by a prominent mascaron — a bearded, grotesque satyr face with a mane-like crest emerging from acanthus scrolls. Below it, a cartouche with the cast inscription and maker’s mark winds, with a composition of shells and volutes in the center. The front and rim of the scuttle are adorned with a godron — a fluted, beaded border. The scuttle rests on small cast feet. The form combines the gravitas of the Renaissance with the dynamism of the Baroque.

Material Cast iron (fonte de fer) with a dark, time-worn patina.

Condition Good condition, commensurate with age. The metal shows a natural patina, surface oxidation in places, and minor wear, indicative of its authentic age and extensive use. The relief retains a sharp, deep design.

Application A decorative and functional coal or wood scuttle for the fireplace; equally suitable as a characterful storage for magazines, logs, or as a collector’s accent in a historically-themed interior. For precise foundry identification, we recommend comparing the mark with databases of Belgian foundries (e.g., KIK-IRPA in Brussels).

A Belle Époque Snapshot: The writer Joris-Karl Huysmans once visited a Brussels house on a rainy November afternoon and, while waiting for the host, sat by the dying embers of the fireplace. His gaze fell upon a dark metal face, grinning slyly from a thicket of acanthus, as if privy to some ancient joke about all who had warmed themselves there. A servant quietly added a few coals, and for a moment, the flames animated the grotesque features — the eyes seemed to gleam. Huysmans, who cherished such things — peculiar, heavy, soulful — thought that this object would outlast all the evening’s guests. Outside, bells chimed; he smiled back at the metal face, as if they were conspirators.

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