Name/Title
Fireplace TongsEntry/Object ID
1970.228.1Description
Iron fire tongs. The handle is short and has a pommel at the end. The tongs are operated through a hinge-joint.Use
Fireplace tongs are used to adjust logs within a fireplace. This particular set lacks wooden handles, which means the person stoking the fire would have used potholders to protect their hands from the heated metal.Context
The earliest versions of fireplace tongs, likely invented shortly after fire was discovered, were simple tools likely made of wood. Over the centuries, fireplace tongs evolved in both style and material, reflecting the craftsmanship of their time, advancements in metalworking, and the formality of their assigned space. Gilded fireplace tongs with ornamental handles served as conspicuous displays of wealth while unadorned fireplace tongs, like this, were reserved for utilitarian spaces.
During the antebellum period, enslaved cooks began the day—sometimes as early as 4 a.m.—by igniting a fire in the kitchen hearth and subsequently finished their day by snuffing it out around 8 p.m. Maintaining the fire was a demanding task that required rotating the logs and repositioning the coal with a pair of tongs several times a day.