Does anyone know what this is? I have asked many friends on facebook and in person even . I even tried Google and still can't find out what it is. 1 friend said her Great grandmother had one but she didn't know what it was for. There is no markings on it that I can find. If I need to post another picture let me know. But here are a few.
The basic frame shape with those "feet" looks like a fire screen to me, but I don't think I've ever seen one with either a removable insert or a folding shelf. The insert part could have been a replacement, of course, so that may not count against it.
Fire place screen. I remember something similar to this in a friend's home growing up. The shelf was used like a tea table.
Well, but Cakesie... it would have been more or less a breeze/draft barrier... no where near the fire when it was blazing... right?
those feet would place it a distance from an 'idle' fireplace and the height and relative size may conflict with hearth and mantle??? too many other viable options for fireplace screens... looks like a simple portable shelf and screen.
In my friend's home, they had a metal screen against the large fireplace. The table screen was used to block intense heat and was set a foot or two in front of the metal screen and not up against the fire. We would sit and drink hot chocolate while we warmed up from playing outside. We put our mugs on the shelf.
4 1/2 in length and 2 feet from foot to foot. Thanks for all your help. I also have 1 other weird old item I do not know what it is. I will get some photos of it. Still curious as to the removable screen then. Why would they have a fabric screen where even hot heat would hit it. Wouldn't the fabric dry out and look more brownish?
Check out the antique cloth fire place screens on this Google image page. I did not see one with the shelf but this will give you an idea. https://www.google.com/search?q=ant...ved=0ahUKEwik5NjZ27nMAhVDGx4KHbQVBpIQ_AUIBygC
Here is an article about the cloth screens. http://www.antiques-art-collectibles.com/collectible/firescreen.htm
Found 2 of these fabric fireplace screens with shelves. One of them isn't online. any longer, only a pic and a French description of it. 1. This one is online with the site saying it is English and dating it to 1870. Touch the thumbnails to see the pics: http://www.wakefieldscearce.com/inventory/english-antique-fire-screen 2. This one was on a French website, but not still there. Doing a reverse image search using the app Reversee on my iPad came up with the following page. It shows 2 links to it, 1 in French and the other in English. Can't find it on either website. The best description was in French. In French: Ecran de cheminée formant Billet doux, avec tablette écritoire rabattage, époque Restauration, milieu du XIXème siècle. Google English translation: "fireplace screen forming soft Ticket, with folding writing tablet , Restoration period , mid-nineteenth century" https://www.google.com/search?tbs=s...VxtOhhk4XNjlrG2H4Q9580f4TiH1a5SPiCtu-FT_1F5nk Below is an image of it. --- Susan
@TallCakes, most older homes don't have a raised hearth on the fireplace. The stone, brick or marble is just extended a couple of feet in front of the fireplace at floor level. Here is a link to fireplaces in the Back Bay of Boston. You can see there are no raised hearths on the originals that haven't been modernized or upgraded. https://www.google.com/search?q=bac...ved=0ahUKEwjnj9CWm7rMAhWGlh4KHdNVDgIQ_AUIBygC
Ohh my goodness Thanks for that information research Ms Branch!! Thats awesome. And thank you also to everyone else with links and information. ^.^ I now wonder if this is an original. or a copy. There are no markings at all on it to show whom made it. How can I find out?
