Granucci Bros. Italian Fireplace Bellows, Forge-Nozzle, Made in Italy

Bellows this old come apart. The leather cracks, the studs loosen, the boards warp — and most of them get thrown out. This one didn't. The wood is still solid, the impressed maker's mark GRANUCCI BROS / MADE ITALY still reads clean on the underside, and the steel nozzle assembly — oversized, braced with iron rods, fitted with an upright filler funnel — is exactly the kind of purposeful industrial oddity that stops people cold. It looks like something between a bellows and a piece of foundry equipment, and that's because it essentially is: built not for a parlor fireplace but for driving real heat into a forge or hearth.

The teardrop-profile hardwood body follows the traditional paddle form — rounded air chamber tapering to a squared grip, leather sidewalls tacked with rows of iron studs, a turned central knob on the face. What sets it apart is the front end: a large tapered steel canister with a flared funnel soldered topside and a long narrow spout at the muzzle, the whole assembly triangulated back to the wood with steel bracing rods. As a working tool it was serious. As an object on a shelf or hung on a wall, the silhouette is genuinely striking — the kind of thing that earns a second look from anyone who knows what they're looking at, and a first question from everyone who doesn't.

CONDITION

Poor, displaying well. The leather sidewalls are brittle, torn, and split open — the air chamber is fully exposed and the bellows no longer holds air. The steel nozzle shows heavy rust, oxidation, denting, and a torn opening with metal loss at the spout collar. Wood is solid with age-appropriate wear throughout. Authentic patina across all surfaces.

DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS

• Overall: 29 1/2" L × 7 1/2" W × 3 1/2" D
• Materials: Wood, steel, leather
• Maker's mark: GRANUCCI BROS / MADE ITALY (impressed into wood underside)