Hugely Tender c. 1820s Hand-forged Wrought Iron Heart Trivet

I fell in love with this heart shaped trivet at first sight and could not let it go--something about the form of it, all curves, not quite symmetrical, feels so tender and honest-- heartwarming, indeed. I bought it from a wonderful dealer near the Hudson River Valley who gave me a useful lesson in early wrought iron, helping me to understand through the shape of the feet and the character of the iron that this likely dates to around the 1820s. And there is a bit of a pinkness to the exposed face of the iron that makes it even more right. Useful as a trivet (I'd leave it at the center of the table and never move it) but could also be mounted on the wall, resting on a couple of nails. Marvelous presence, more beautiful in hand.

9 1/4" across at the outside of feet; heart itself 8" x 7 1/16". Beautiful antique condition.