Signed Vintage 1980s Hand-Painted Repoussé Metal Floral Fireplace Screen

Details

Description

A spectacular one-of-a-kind vintage fireplace screen featuring an exuberant arrangement of dimensional flowers and foliage emerging from a brilliant blue … Read more A spectacular one-of-a-kind vintage fireplace screen featuring an exuberant arrangement of dimensional flowers and foliage emerging from a brilliant blue vessel. Hand-worked in sheet metal, the composition features deeply embossed and repoussé elements that give the flowers and leaves an unusually sculptural, almost three-dimensional presence.

The richly colored surface combines saturated shades of turquoise, teal, ochre, yellow, rust, cream and brown against a dramatic black ground. Rather than conforming to a traditional rectangular firescreen, the metal has been cut and worked around the floral composition, creating an expressive, irregular silhouette.

The piece is signed “Mimi” at the lower right and bears an additional copyright inscription that appears to include “88,” possibly indicating 1988. The remaining inscription is difficult to decipher, and the artist has not been conclusively identified.

The reverse reveals the hand-worked construction of the dimensional metal elements and retains a simple metal easel support that allows the screen to stand independently in front of a fireplace.

A wonderfully unusual example of late-20th-century studio metalwork with influences of folk art, Arts & Crafts repoussé and modern decorative sculpture. Equally compelling displayed traditionally as a fireplace screen or repurposed as a large-scale piece of dimensional wall art.

Condition: Good vintage condition with surface wear, oxidation, scratches, irregularities and areas of paint loss consistent with age and the handmade nature of the piece. The irregularities and visible hand-working are integral to its character. Please refer to photographs for condition. See less