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904
Description: Arched rectangular shaped central panel with five-bead and open pellet edging; pictorial: regal figure in his chariot drawn by two horses, a sceptre in his right hand; above, a putto descends from swagged curtains and a pair of tassels; below is a landscape with a cornucopia; arched rectangular shaped border with fillet edging, a scallop shell top centre with symmetrical arrangement of ivy and acanthus leaves and tendrils; the initial, N, in a cartouche bottom centre, between symmetrical oak fronds, leaves and acorns; above is a symmetrical design of scrolled floral tendrils terminating in sea monsters.
Notes: Very similar in design and execution to firebacks of the SHR and EB series, suggesting designs emanating from the same source and with a similar inspiration. The figure in the chariot may be an allegory of the Sun.
Inscription: N
- Decoration tags:
- 'Dutch' (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- allegorical
- animals
- humans
- plants
- objects
Manufactured: in the early 18th century in England.
Current location: not known.
- Attached to series:
- N series
- British 'Dutch' style firebacks
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905
Description: Canted rectangle; fillet edging (top and sides); date to full width across centre of plate.
Notes: Bold, evenly-spaced numerals.
Inscription: 1680
- Decoration tags:
- canted rectangular (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- individual numbers
- text
Manufactured: in 1680 in England.
Current location: in private hands, Vauxhall, London, England.
- Attached to series:
- Date only firebacks
- 1680s Canted series
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253
Description: Arched rectangular shape; cavetto moulded edging; garter enclosing Stuart royal arms, with supporters, crown and motto; date split either side of garter buckle; rectangular extension panel at bottom.
Notes: An altered casting from a 1641 original (no. 445), the last part of the date having disproportionate numerals; often copied. From the detail of the relief, probably an early casting.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: C R / HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE / 16 64 / DIEV ET MON DROIT
Arms: English Stuart royal
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- cavetto (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- individual numbers
- extension panels
- armorial
- royal
- text
Manufactured: in 1664 possibly in the Weald area of England.
Current location:, not known.
- Attached to series:
- Carolean royal armorial firebacks
- Stuart royal armorial firebacks
- Royalist series
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948
Description: Arched rectangular shaped central panel with bead edging; seated, semi-naked female figure, with laurels leaves about her head, holding a bunch of grapes in her raised right hand; she is sitting on a stool; to her right is what appears to be a pile of stones; to her left a vase of tulips with a tree behind; above centre, is the word TERRA (earth - Latin); above is a swag of drapery enclosing a scallop shell; outside the panel is a narrow border of the same shape with fillet edging; the fireback is surmounted by a scallop shell between two outward-facing sea serpents.
Notes: One of a series of four designs of the classical elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: TERRA
- Decoration tags:
- 'Dutch' (shape)
- whole carved pattern
- pictorial
- allegorical
- text
- humans
- plants
Manufactured: in the mid to late 17th century possibly in the Siegerland area of Germany.
Current location:, not known.
- Attached to series:
- 'Dutch' Miscellaneous Firebacks
- Elements firebacks
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1054
Description: Arched rectangular shape; chamfered edging; 'renaissance' style shield with floriate decoration; incised heraldic design.
Notes: The arms are of Sir John Herbert Vernon Bt. impaling those of his wife, Elizabeth Bagnall; Blazon: (Vernon) Or, on a fess azure between two crosses moline gules three garbs of the field, a canton of a baronet; (Bagnall) Ermine, two bars or, over all a lion rampant azure. The fireback dates from between 1919, when Sir John inherited the baronetcy and his death in 1933.
Arms: Vernon impaling Bagnall
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- chamfered (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- heraldic
- armorial
Manufactured: in the early 20th century in England.
Current location:, not known.
- Attached to series:
- Personal armorial firebacks
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947
Description: Arched rectangular shaped central panel with bead edging; naked figure of Poseidon/Neptune holding a a trident in his raised left hand, his right arm extended; he is sitting on a bridge over a flowing stream; to his right a merman, half immersed, blows a shell trumpet; above centre, is the word AQUA (water - Latin); above is a swag of drapery enclosing a scallop shell; outside the panel is a narrow border of the same shape with fillet edging; the fireback is surmounted by a scallop shell between two outward-facing sea serpents.
Notes: One of a series of four designs of the classical elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: AQUA
- Decoration tags:
- 'Dutch' (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- pictorial
- mythological
- allegorical
- text
- humans
- objects
Manufactured: in the mid to late 17th century possibly in the Siegerland area of Germany.
Current location:, not known.
- Attached to series:
- 'Dutch' Miscellaneous Firebacks
- Elements firebacks
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956
Description: Canted rectangle; twisted rope edging; date along the top; initials in triad across the middle; fleur-de-lys stamp repeated eight times down each side, pointing to the side or up in the order (from the top): side (2), then alternately, up first.
Notes: The initials probably represent those of a married couple, the 'H' for their surname; it is unusual for twisted rope edging to continue along the bottom of the plate.
Inscription: 1626 / RHL
- Decoration tags:
- canted rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- carved stamps
- individual letters
- individual numbers
- heraldic
- text
Manufactured: in 1626 in the Forest of Dean area of England.
Current location: not known.
- Attached to series:
- Date & initials firebacks
- 1620s Dean series
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965
Description: Upon a moulded base plinth, wide scrolled side double fillets with foliage about the scrolls and suspended bell flowers in chain above; central foliate cartouche behind an oval shield surmounted by a viscomte's coronet; on top, an arch rising from horizontal moulding on each side.
Notes: Blazon: Azure, a chevron Argent between three estoiles Or, all surmounted by a bar of the second; characteristic of designs illustrated by architects such as Daniel Marot; the texturing on the shield indicates the azure tincture. See Carpentier p. 234, fig. 644.
Arms: Besset de la Chapelle
- Decoration tags:
- quasi-arched rectangular (shape)
- complex individual (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- armorial
Manufactured: in the late 17th to early 18th century in France.
Current location:, not known.
Citation: Carpentier, H., 1912, Plaques de Cheminées (Paris & Florange, published by the author).
- Attached to series:
- Foreign armorial firebacks
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982
Description: Arched rectangular shape with demi-bullnose edging (top and sides); 'AD' curved in arch, with straight date below; central letter 'H' in the form of a horse's bit, with initials 'F' and 'J' respectively above and below; two lengths of rope with tasselled ends looped and tied symmetrically around the 'H' and on each side.
Notes: A finely moulded personal fireback with an equestrian connection.
Inscription: AD / 1909 / HFJ
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- demi-bullnose (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- monogram
- text
- objects
Manufactured: in 1909 in England.
Current location: not known.
- Attached to series:
- Personal firebacks
- Date & initials firebacks
-
983
Description: Arched shape; cavetto-moulded edge; Tudor royal shield, crown, garter (with inscription anti-clockwise) and supporters (dragon and greyhound); crowned rose on left, and crowned portcullis on right side of crown; the supporters stand on a horizontal fillet, to the bottom right of which is the end of an illegible inscription.
Notes: There are several firebacks with the Tudor royal arms that were probably produced in the Spanish Netherlands, perhaps illustrating the association between England and Spain through the marriage of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon. The firebacks differ in several small details, such as the form and rotation of the Garter motto, the style of the crown, the positioning of the supporters in relation to the Garter, and the form and size of the crowned rose and portcullis.
Inscription: HONI SOIT QVI MAL I PENSE / [illeg.]
Arms: Tudor royal
- Decoration tags:
- arched (shape)
- cavetto (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- planklines
- armorial
- royal
- text
Manufactured: in the mid 16th century in the Wallonia area of Luxembourg.
Current location:, not known.
- Attached to series:
- Tudor royal armorial firebacks
- Continental Tudor royal armorial firebacks