The fireplace was the center of the home in 18th-century America. The only warm place in a New England house was near the fire. Homes were not well-insulated, and cold wind penetrated doors, windows and even chinks in logs or siding. The fireplace also served as the kitchen stove. Almost all cooking was done in or near the fireplace. Andirons were needed in every fireplace. Logs rested on these iron supports, and the circulation of air they permitted made the fire burn brighter. Andirons still exist that were used in ancient Rome, medieval Europe and 17th-century America. Iron was used for those parts of the andirons that became very hot. Brass trim was often added, because brass reflected light and made a room brighter. Styles of andirons varied by location and changed over time. Brass ball decorations were used at first, but by 1800, andirons had an urn- or lemon-shaped top. By the mid-1800s, andirons had become more decorative. Dolphins, dogs, ladies, soldiers, baseball players and even George Washington were modeled as andirons. When furniture styles changed about 1900 and the Arts and Crafts look became popular, a different type of andiron was needed. Hammered pillars or rough iron rods were used instead of shining brass and classical columns. One talented ironworker created a pair of andirons that looked like a tree stump holding three birds. Modern fireplaces still need andirons. Large cubes, sleek cylinders and other contemporary patterns are favored.

My wife’s mother lived in Germany. She left us four plates that were given to her during World War II by someone in the German government. Each one is marked with a different maker’s mark. But all of them are also marked with an eagle holding a swastika in its talons. What does the mark mean?

The eagle mark you describe was the symbol of the Third Reich. Not all dishes made during Hitler’s years ruling Germany (1933-45) were marked with the eagle and swastika. It is likely that the dishes your mother-in-law left you were stamped with the mark because they were made for use by government officials.

I have been collecting pocket mirrors for several years. When was this sort of giveaway first made?

Small round or oval pocket mirrors with embossed brass backings were being made by the mid-1860s. Soon, silver-colored metal was used, then aluminum, then celluloid. By 1900, the backs of the mirrors were often printed with colorful designs. Whitehead and Hoag Co. of Newark, N.J., was the major manufacturer of celluloid advertising products like mirrors and campaign buttons. Other names that often appear on the mirrors are Bastian Brothers of Rochester, N.Y.; Parisian Novelty Co. and Cruver Manufacturing Co., both of Chicago; and American Art Works of Coshocton, Ohio. Most of the mirrors were given away by stores or were decorated with a family picture. New ones are being made today.

Tip

Some experts suggest that you not wash silverware in the dishwasher. The detergent is abrasive, and the oxidation will eventually be removed. The cement in old hollow-handled knives might melt, and then the knives must be repaired.

Three crowlike birds perch on the tree stumps that form these andirons. The forged-iron andirons are 30 inches high. They sold this year at a Doyle auction in New York for ,987.