Firebacks

Description: Arched rectangular central panel with bead-on-fillet edging, pictorial representation of a man and woman walking, behind the woman a child holds her train and a young person carries a parasol; from behind a column on the right, a horse's head is visible, a tree stands to the left, at the foot of the scene is the word 'EVROPA'; tall-arched rectangular border with fillet edging; at top of arch, a lion's head above a ring, with descending grape vines on each side; at each side, a festoon of fruit suspended on a ribbon from a lion's head; at the bottom, an oval cartouche between flowers; on top, a Holy Roman Imperial crown between two descending dolphins.

Notes: The pictorial scene is based on an engraving c.1642 of Friedrich Wilhelm, Elector of Brandenburg, and his wife, Luise Henriette of Oranje-Nassau, by Mathias Czwiczek; one of series of firebacks depicting allegories of the four continents.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: EVROPA

Description: Quasi-arched rectangular shape; on a ground, an armorial achievement comprising a central cartouche on which is an oval shield bearing the arms of the Cavendish family, with graduated bead edging; supporters, two stags rampant; above the cartouche, on a wreath a coiled snake crest surmounted by an earl’s coronet; the date split either side of the crest; to each side, a column with foliate capital supporting a three-sided arch with ovolo-moulded edging, on each shoulder of which is a flaming orb.

Notes: The arms are those of the Earls of Devonshire. However, the date relates to William Cavendish (1640-1707), previously 4th Earl and created 1st Duke of Devonshire in 1694. An earlier casting (no. 246) has a date of 1657, the second pair of numerals having been changed. Christie's auction 3 Dec 2014 lot 15 (dated incorrectly as 1693) (£1,875).

Inscription: 1695

Arms: William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Devonshire, as 4th Earl of Devonshire

Description: Arched rectangular shape; cavetto moulding (top and sides); date in top corners; shield, supporters, coronet and motto of the Barony of Bergavenny.

Notes: The arms are those of William Nevill, 16th Baron Bergavenny, of Kidbrooke Park, Forest Row, Sussex; the arms have been modified by the omission of the motto below the compartment.

Inscription: 17 37

Arms: William Nevill, 16th Baron Bergavenny

Description: Rectangular central panel with fillet edging; poorly modelled standing figure possibly of Diana, goddess of hunting, holding a bow in her left hand and an arrow in her right hand, on a low plinth; border with fillet edging along sides and bottom, with mirrored vine tendril and leaves on each side; date split either side of leaves at bottom; on top, symmetrical swirled foliate arrangement.

Notes: A characteristic small fireback from the period of the changeover to coal-fired domestic heating.

Inscription: 17 33

Description: Originally rectangular; two identical panels, each with braid edging, a vine standard with six bunches of grapes and a cluster at the top.

Notes: One of an unusual series formed from separate panels arranged, in this instance, with repeated panel; fire-damaged, hence the distorted shape. Recovered after the fire at Nymans, Handcross, Sussex in 1947.

Description: Arched rectangular shape with rounded corners; ovolo within fillet moulding all round; oval Tudor royal shield with garter surrounding, topped with a royal crown; dragon and greyhound supporters; initials split by crown; inscription on a fillet between legs of supporters, behind garter finial; motto on an Ionic plinth at bottom; two rectangular side panels, each with a bird stamp (probably a swan, a Lancastrian badge) above a vine strip stamp repeated three times vertically.

Notes: One of two known variants of the John Harvo fireback incorporating extension panels with vine strips and 'swans'; the positions of the swans vary slightly between the two variants. Formerly at the old post office, Ticehurst, Sussex.

Inscription: E R / HONY SOIT QUE MAL Y PAYNCE

Arms: Tudor royal - prob. Edward VI

Description: Quasi-Arched rectangular shape with cyma reversa shoulders; ovolo edging; stylised lion passant guardant; crowned rose with leaf and stem on left, crowned fleur de lys on right, thistle with leaves above centre; three right-facing scrolls at base; down-facing scroll, with staple, on right side; date split between bottom corners; initials below date, bottom right.

Notes: Blatantly Royalist in its symbolism, a variant (no. 763) is dated (perhaps less convincingly) 1649. Numeral style, initials, leaf depiction and the stapled scroll are typical features of firebacks made from patterns by the same maker. A later version of the same subject, but with a different shaped plate and without the fleur-de-lys, is also known (see 'Royalist series'). M. A. Lower writes of this design of fireback being cast at Waldron Furnace in Sussex (Lower, 1849, p.219).

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: 16 41 / IM

Description: 'Dutch' style; arched rectangular central panel, bead edging, a partially clothed female figure holding a wreath in her left hand and a bunch of flowers in her right hand, a circlet of cloth hanging from her right shoulder; arched rectangular shaped border with fillet edging and floral swags suspended; on top, flowers and swirled foliage.

Notes: The figure is an allegorical representation of Agriculture, one of the Iconologia originally published by Cesare Ripa in 1613. A damaged recasting is in Farnham Museum. The 'W' initial probably denotes the pattern maker.

Inscription: W

Description: Arched rectangle; twisted rope edging (top and sides); central date at bottom of arch.

Inscription: 1670

Description: Arched rectangular shape; rebated fillet edging (top and sides); word 'BERSHAM' (AM ligature) in arch; initials triad 'C LL S' (LL ligature) in left shoulder; date on two lines in right shoulder.

Notes: The initials are likely to be those of Charles Lloyd of Dolobran, Montgomeryshire, and Sarah (née Crowley) his wife. Lloyd ran Bersham Furnace, near Wrexham, from 1710 until 1728. Smelting iron with coke began at Bersham in 1721, so it is likely that this fireback was made of coke-smelted iron.

Inscription: BERSHAM / LL 17 / C S 22