Are andirons always sold in pairs?

Not always, though pairs dominate. Of 247 titles on Sellingantiques, 151 say "pair". The rest are singles, complete hearth sets, or grates and baskets that happen to include dogs. A title reading "Fire Basket, Andirons" is describing an assembly rather than a loose pair.

What's the difference between andirons and fire dogs?

Nothing. They're two names for the same object, and dealers use them interchangeably, often in the same title. "Andirons" runs through 184 titles, "fire dogs" through 88. Chenet is the French word for the same thing, used mostly for low bronze and ormolu pairs.

How old are most andirons on the market?

The dated field spans 1500 to 1940, but the bulk is much later than that range suggests. Seventy-seven listings say simply "19th Century" and thirty-one say Victorian. Decade-level entries cluster in the 1900s, 1880s and 1890s. Only six listings are dated 18th century, and pre-1700 pieces are isolated outliers rather than a supply.

Which materials turn up in this category?

Brass leads at 85 titles, iron follows at 74, split between cast and wrought. Bronze accounts for 21 and ormolu 16. One-off materials appear too, including a nickel-over-bronze pair. Steel shows up at the late end, in a pair of Arts and Crafts andirons dated 1940.

Why do listings mention grates and fire baskets?

Because a good number of andirons come attached to the rest of the hearth. "Grate" appears in 36 titles, "basket" in 28, "fire basket" in 26. These assemblies sit above loose pairs in the range, and the inglenook examples are the largest things in the category. One wrought-iron pair stands 86cm tall.

Do figural andirons differ from plain ones?

In price position, yes. Modelled figures cluster in the upper half of the sample: lions, sphinxes, dragons, cherubs, caryatids, satyrs and phoenixes. Plain polished brass pairs of around 1900 sit at the other end. Odd forms surface once and nowhere else, among them horse-whip andirons and a lion-and-unicorn cast iron pair.