Description: The American bracket is made entirely from metal, & consists of a base plate, bracket arm, movable hook, & a buffer in the design of an acorn (photographs 1 to 5). The base plate is a decorative flat piece of metal with an American bird with outstretched wings for the top half, & a hollow barrel, that has been fixed into the centre of the the lower half (photographs 1 & 5 to 7). The American bird has been engraved to display it's facial features, feathers, & feet, while the hollow barrel is used to fit the cylindrical pin of the bracket arm (photographs 6 & 7). There are also three circular holes through the base plate, one through the top half & two through the bottom half (photographs 1 & 5). These would have been used to secure the back surface of base plate to a flat surface of the fire place with screws. 

The pin of the bracket arm can be removed from, & can rotate within the base plate's hollow barrel (photographs 1 to 3, 7, & 10). This rotation joint enables the bracket arm to rotate horizontally by approximate 180 degrees. One side of the bracket arm is engraved with the maker's name 'G. CULLIS', & the date of the bracket's manufacture '1816' (photograph 8). The movable hook includes a hollow rectangular loop at the top, which fits around the bracket arm, & allows the hook to be moved along the length of the bracket arm (photographs 1, 4, & 8 & 9). The hook would probably have been used to hold a small pot near a fire. The hook is prevented from detaching from bracket arm by a buffer, in the design of an acorn (photographs 8 & 9). The acorn buffer is fixed within the end of the bracket arm, although it is free to rotate.      

Condition: The metal surfaces of the bracket are dark due to tarnishing, & could be lighter with polishing (photographs 1 to 5). There are some discolouration marks on the back surface of the bracket, where it previously would have been attached to a flat surface of a fireplace (photograph 5). However, the American bracket functions, & is in extremely good condition for it's age, considering it's previous use (photographs 1 to 10).   

Dimensions: The height of the bracket (with the bracket arm centred) is 15.6 cm, the depth 16.9 cm, the width 13.4 cm, & the total weight 336 g (photograph 2).