Wolf and Hounds Fire Screen

Sharp teeth and spiky fur bring fierce rhythm and energy to this beastly spiral. Sculptor William Hunt Diederich specialized in animal forms, using horses, goats, deer, and especially greyhounds in designs for lamps, railings, weathervanes, and statues. This fire screen probably first decorated a Manhattan town house or a Long Island mansion during the boom years of the 1920s. Diederich’s chief patrons—captains of industry and finance—embraced these traditional, masculine hunting motifs and the sleek and modern Art Deco style.