Firedog, one of a pair
On View In:
Gallery 334
Artist:   George Jack
Longden and Co.  
Title:   Firedog, one of a pair  
Date:   1893  
Medium:   Steel  
Dimensions:   30 15/16 x 10 11/16 x 9 1/2 in. (78.6 x 27.1 x 24.1 cm)  
Credit Line:   The Ulrich Acquisition Fund for Modern Design  
Location:   Gallery 334  

George Jack was an integral figure in the British Arts and Crafts movement. From about 1890, he was chief furniture designer for William Morris' Morris and Co. and in 1880 began working in the office of architect and designer Philip Webb. Both Morris and Webb were strong proponents of a move away from industrialization and back to the handmade tradition in objects for the home. Jack's design for these firedogs, meant to hold fire tools on their protruding brackets, are an excellent example of the whimsy inherent in English Arts and Crafts, with their simplified design featuring a pair of stylized owls.

Artist/Creator(s)     
Name:   Jack, George  
Nationality:   American  
Life Dates:   American (lived in England), 1855-1932  
 
Name:   Longden and Co.  
Role:   Manufacturer  
Nationality:   English  
Life Dates:   England  
 

Object Description  
  
Inscriptions:    
Classification:   Metalwork  
Physical Description:   curvilinear back section with applied openwork organic cutout; horizontal element very high; hook at top  
Creation Place:   Europe, England, , ,  
Accession #:   2000.234.1  
Owner:   The Minneapolis Institute of Arts