A new collection
Breton Shutter Dogs: Breton in style and name but found all over northern France. These little hinged beauties are made from cast iron or brass and are used to hold back traditional opened window shutters. In the design of a traditional Breton ‘shepherdess’ (or sailor) they can take various forms, depending on the particular manufacturer, and can be found in various states of dis-repair or decay. Sometimes, like the metal hinges, they have clearly out-lived the wooden shutters that they were once supposed to hold back. And sometimes the years of rust and layers of paint have all but obscured their original form. Although only a very small and apparently insignificant (but practical) architectural detail, they have a fascination for me that is all their own, as they are so typically ‘French’. Click on any of the images below to see the full collection , so far . . . . .
I have recently organised these images into a digital e-book with a historical introduction – see here
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