Antique French Wrought Iron Tongs from Chanteduc 23¼"

A pair of antique French wrought iron hearth tongs from Chanteduc, long trusted beside the wood‑fired pizza and bread oven in Patricia Wells’s Provence home. From her personal collection, they reflect her clear eye for tools that work hard and age well. Hand forged with a continuous looped grip, the slender arms finish in neat, slightly hooked tips. The iron carries a deep, soot‑dark patina from years of service, with the pleasing polish that only heat and handling can achieve. Honest hammer marks remain visible, and the stance is steady and straight. Substantial in reach yet nimble in the hand, they are the kind of implement you choose without thinking because they simply do the job. Used to tend embers for countless meals, they kept pace with an oven that fuels pizzas, breads and roasts on a mix of oak logs and old vines from the Chanteduc vineyard. Patricia lifts them from their hook and smiles, “I think that these are just old great tongs.” The sentiment suits her intelligent simplicity and practical elegance. Hang them on a simple hook as functional sculpture by a kitchen hearth or summer garden oven, ready for the next firing, or display them with other well‑loved tools to bring the spirit of Chanteduc into everyday cooking.