Firebacks

Description: Fragment (left quarter missing - symmetrical design assumed); rectangular; twisted rope edging (top and sides); top centre, crowned Tudor shield between two lions passant, the left lion guardant sinister; below each lion, two leftward heading ‘imp’ stamps, the left one of each with arms down and head facing right, the right with right arm raised; in the top corner(s), a crowned rose stamp with a ‘daisy’ stamp towards the middle.

Notes: Assuming the crowned shield is central, the fireback would have originally measured 1160mm wide; one of the ‘Royal’ series.

Arms: Tudor royal arms of England

Description: Rectangular; no edging; rough background with 'incised' inscription across top in archaic lettering; central crowned male figure, in Saxon costume, standing astride and facing right, holding a battleaxe to his right in both hands; behind him to the right, a figure wearing a Norman-style helmet with nasal guard, advancing, with a shield, and a sword in his right hand; behind the central figure and to his right, a fallen figure with a circular shield covering him; below, the face of another fallen figure, also wearing a Norman helmet.

Notes: A dramatic pictorial fireback commemorating the Battle of Hastings. The pattern may have been made of a sculpted medium, such as clay.

Inscription: HAROLD REX

Description: Rectangular shape; wide fillet and ogee-moulded edging; approximately top centre, initials RH, with date 1701 centred below.

Notes: A heavy casting, approx. 3cm thick; the character set for the initials and date lacks uniformity, some carved crudely, others more carefully; three horizontal planklines. The lettering differs from another fireback (see no. 1282), with the same initials and date, by the position and shape of the letter 'R'. Formerly in a house at Netherfield, East Sussex. The former location in the Netherfield area of these two firebacks suggests a possible association with Richard Hay, owner of land in that area at that time and ironmaster at Beech Furnace nearby.

Inscription: RH / 1701

Description: Canted rectangular shape; ?fillet edging; eight fleurs-de-lys (4 and 4) equally spaced and divided by vertical and horizontal fillets, the middle vertical over-stamped at the top with the numerals.

Notes: Only poor quality castings have been noted of this design, with different dates.

Inscription: 16[?]1

Description: Rectangular shape; ogee-moulded edging; upper centred, small fleur-de-lys stamp impressed three times, the rightmost slightly higher than the other two.

Notes: A simple fireback of somewhat indeterminate date.

Description: Arch shaped; rope edging (top and sides); top centre, crowned cartouche with initials F S linked with twisted cord; below, two cartouches, each bearing a 7-pointed star, and each separating the paired initials HG.

Notes: The national origin of this fireback is a little uncertain. A variant of this fireback (no. 767) has slightly different proportions and relative positions of the stamps.

Inscription: F S / H G H G

Description: Formerly arched rectangular, arch now missing; cavetto-moulded edging, invected on the inner edge; English royal Stuart shield, garter, crown (mainly missing), supporters and motto; date split either side of crown; monogram to right of unicorn supporter.

Notes: The monogram probably identifies the pattern-maker, whose invected edging seems to be a distinctive style. From another fireback of the same design (no. 1018), complete with the arch, the height is approx 710mm.

Inscription: 1638 / HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE / RN / DIEV ET MON DROIT

Arms: English Stuart royal

Description: Arched rectangular shape; fillet edging; bell-flower column repeated on each side; at bottom, central rectangular panel, fillet edged, enclosing outstretched wings; above, intertwined leaves in figure-of-eight, enclosing a crown at the top.

Notes: This fireback incorporates features of the ‘Dutch’ style but within an English form.

Description: Arched rectangular central panel with hollow bead-on-fillet edging; pictorial scene of a female figure standing on a scallop shell on a ground, holding wind-blown drapery aloft; arched rectangular border with fillet edging; top centre, a scallop shell with descending tendrils and alternating flowers and scallop shells, and swirled leaves at the bottom; on top, mirrored serpents.

Notes: The allegorical figure of Fortune; similar in many respects to other ‘Dutch’ style firebacks of the period. The theft in 1699 from a Thames-side warehouse of several firebacks, including '5 iron Chimney-Backs cast in the figure of Fortune standing naked on a Conchus in the Sea' may refer to this type (Post Boy 11-14 Nov. 1699).

Copies of this fireback are known.

Description: Arched rectangular central panel with arch and bead-on-fillet edging; pictorial representation of a popinjay, or parrot, perched on a ring suspended by a ribbon from a bow, the bird is clutching an olive twig, other sprigs are below; arched rectangular border with arch and fillet edging; mirrored festoons of flowers and fruit suspended from roses, scrolled foliage at the bottom; on top, central scallop shell between descending dolphins.

Notes: The parrot on the ring perch is a popular design on Dutch firebacks.

Copies of this fireback are known.