These shelf brackets demonstrate how a form that might seem unlikely at first can naturally emerge through the method by which the raw material is shaped into something functional.

Rather than imposing a shape after the fact, the manufacturing process seems to have started from a simple rectangle of metal and let it evolve from there. Time, effort, and material aren’t wasted stamping out a specific shape at the beginning or trimming away edges after the fact. Whether or not these offcuts would normally be recycled is another question.

The edges of the bracket taper inward at the angle, directly following the contour of the metal as it is pushed outward on the flange. This is in contrast to most pressed steel brackets, which taper from narrow ends to a wider profile at the bend for aesthetic reasons and to provide extra material at the critical corner.

Of course there may be more to it than this. Have I been duped by a stylized exaggeration of the process? I think this is a case where the form communicates the same thing regardless of its honesty.

A thicker sheetmetal stock provides all-around strength that compensates for a lack of designed reinforcement, making the whole thing heavier than a thinner, more engineered steel bracket. On the other hand, a wider profile on the flat surfaces allows more places for screws.

The brackets are stamped “BAT”, so as you might expect, searching for hardware with this term comes up only with halloween-themed fixtures. Best guess: B = Belgium·ique, A = acier, T = ?

(Update: reader Doriane suggests “trempé”.)