Indian Pair of Architectural Brackets

Cast iron, with a circle at its heart and no excuse needed.

This pair of architectural brackets was cast in iron in India in the early 20th century. Brackets of this kind were commonly made to carry shelves, balconies or eaves. Each is a right-angle triangle whose open framework is built around a ring, with scrolled ends and curling tips. The two are mirror images and can be hung left and right. The iron has a dark, worn grey surface with small pits and traces of old paint.

Each is about 24 inches tall and 18 wide. They are built to hold weight, or just to hold your eye.