When playing with fire, practicality comes before decoration. That's why the primary purpose of andirons, also known as fire dogs, has always been to provide air circulation beneath burning logs in a hearth or fireplace. But the job of these devices is not only to keep one's living area from filling up with smoke—it is also to keep those burning logs from tumbling into that living area and setting it aflame. Prior to the iron age, these...Continue Reading