Italian
Bell Bracket, 20th century
Iron, 90 x 31 cm (35 7/16 x 12 3/16 in.)
This hand forged decorative iron bracket mimics a trellis of climbing vines. It is bilaterally symmetrical, meaning it has left and right sides that are approximately mirror images. The central iron element is a thick, somewhat rusted, vertical scepter-like piece that forms an open heart shape at its upper end. There is a ribbon-like structure that attaches a pair of iron nails at its lower end. Thin tendrils of iron scrollwork attach to the center of the scepter and reach up and out to the left and right, ending in spirals. There are delicate iron leaf forms with realistic iron seed pods decorating the uppermost tendrils.
East, North, And West Cloister
Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.