Twee haardblokken before 1904

Paul Joseph Nicolas Nestor Schaffers made this photograph of two fire dogs, or "Twee haardblokken," sometime before his death in 1896. The image shows objects likely made of cast iron or bronze. These weren't simply functional items; they were also intended to be decorative, a testament to the fireside as a site of social gathering. Consider how different these fire dogs are from a rough pile of stones or a simple grate. Their intricate forms and use of costly materials signal wealth and status, achieved through industrial processes like casting. This was no doubt repetitive labor, reliant on the exploitation of workers. Photographs like this one played a crucial role in disseminating design ideas, fueling consumer desire and further driving industrial production. By appreciating the labor and materials embodied in this image, we recognize how taste, class, and industry are always intertwined. It blurs the line between artwork and functional object.