Pair of Antique Brass Fire Dogs - Olympic Torches

This is a pair of late Victorian or early 20th Century brass Fire Dogs or Andirons. They are very well made and of elegant slender form in the design of Olympic torches. The first Olympic games of the modern era were held in Athens in 1896 and these may well have been designed to commemorate the event. The torches are raised on cabriole legs with clawed feet. The torches themselves are well cast with ribbed detail draped in ribbons, and surmounted by cast Olympic flame finials. There are further finials of flames to the base plates and cast iron leg supports.