Firebacks

Description: Arched rectangular shape; plain edge with 49 large beads parallel with top and sides; upper centre, date in bold Arabic numerals; below date, raised rectangular panel with chamfered sides and corners and fillet edging, and a symmetrical sunburst and rainbow design in low relief.

Notes: Modern, quasi-Art Deco design

Inscription: 1990

Description: Arched shape; fillet edging; swan within a voided strapwork cartouche; date in Arabic numerals, at bottom, on a broad horizontal fillet.

Notes: Stylistically, of the early 17th century, suggesting the date is 1617, although the third numeral is indistinct. Bonham's sale, Chester, 18 October 2012, lot 384 (£375).

Inscription: 16 1[?]7

Description: Arched rectangular shape; fillet edging; central male figure clothed in 17th century style, facing to the left, holding a mallet in his raised right hand and holding a board with rectangular detailing in relief in his left hand; vertical boards in relief behind; below to the left, a smaller figure holding a long pole diagonally with other detailing in relief behind; to the lower right, a female figure, contemporaneously clothed, a scroll feature to her right; behind, an archtectural grille with scrolled detailing; above, swagged drapery with three descending tasselled ropes.

Notes: A pastiche of a 17th century fireback, perhaps inspired by the Lenard fireback of 1636 (see no. 429). The scene appears to be of a carpenter's workshop but some of the detail in the lower parts of the fireback is indistinct owing to corrosion. The drapery was probably inspired by a similar feature on several late-17th or early-18th century English, 'Dutch'-style fireback designs. The reverse (upcast) side of the fireback is very smooth indicating a modern date for the casting.

Description: Arched rectangular shaped; fillet edging; a lion rampant

Notes: Whole pattern. A modern design of fireback

Copies of this fireback are known.

Description: Arched rectangular shaped with fillet and cavetto dentil moulding, and paternost bead edging inside; a lion rampant

Notes: Whole pattern. An unusually tall fireback in relation to its width.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Description: Rectangular shape; cavetto-moulded edging; central abstract arrangement in low relief of a horizontally positioned oval surrounded by four separated spandrels forming a rectangular shape over all; at each side, on a raised rectangular field, a stylised bud or cone of helical form, within a calyx above a semi-circular base, one mirroring the other. A deep plankline is evident half way up the left plant.

Notes: An excrescence on the right side may have been caused by iron being poured from a ladle disturbing the casting sand. There are no parallels for this fireback design. The central abstract arrangement may be associated with a formal plan of a garden parterre, the stylised plants continuing that theme.

Description: Arched rectangular shape; plain edge with 49 large beads parallel with top and sides; upper centre, date in bold Arabic numerals; below date, raised rectangular panel with chamfered sides and corners and fillet edging, and a symmetrical sunburst and rainbow design in low relief.

Notes: Modern, quasi-Art Deco design

Inscription: 1995

Description: Rectangular; astragal edging; simple diamond pattern covering whole plate, formed from evenly-spaced diagonal lines.

Description: Rectangular arrangement with fillet edging of eight square panels (four over four) between moulded stiles.

Notes: The pattern for this fireback suggests that it was made from a section of panelling, perhaps fitted into a frame for rigidity.

Description: Quasi-arched shape; straight fillet edging to sides and bottom, symmetrical, stepped cavetto, ovolo, cavetto and double arched on top; central pictorial scene of a female and male seated on a couch, both in 18th century dress, with swirled floral border; swirled floral base panel separated by a fillet; two sea serpents on top.

Notes: The dress of the figures portrayed suggests a late-18th century date