Firebacks

Description: Rectangular; cavetto edging all round; seated lion on right, its tail rising above its back and its head turned to face the viewer; a seated sheep on the left; date split across top.

Notes: Intended to represent the saying, ‘The lion shall lie down with the lamb’, a popular misquotation of Isaiah 11: 6.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: 1679

Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging (top and sides); twisted rope length stamped eight times in a mirrored double rhombus pattern with a central cross; a crude human figurine stamped irregularly four times, two on each side of the rope design.

Notes: An uncharacteristically small fireback for its likely period.

Description: Arched rectangular shape with small rhomboidal flanges in the corners of the arch; cavetto moulded edge on all sides, with a rose stamp on each curved enlargement of the moulding in the top corners; Stuart royal arms (1605-88, 1702-14) with lion and unicorn supporters, garter, crown and motto.

Notes: A recasting. A casting of the same fireback is in the collection of the Sussex Archaeological Society, but with the addition of a person's name impressed from the broken handle of a skillet (no. 405).

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: [Garter and royal mottoes]

Arms: English Stuart royal

Description: Rectangular; astragal and fillet moulding on top and side edges; symmetrical layout of date and initials; date split between left and right sides, initials in middle.

Notes: One of a series of backs dating to the 1730s and 40s using very similar sets of letters and numerals. Sold at Christie's Masters and Makers auction, 30 November 2010, lot 521 (£1000 part lot with no. 601, no. 623 and no. 637).

Inscription: 17 RM 39

Description: Rectangular; astragal and fillet edging; date across top of plate.

Notes: One of a series of backs dating to the 1730s and 40s using very similar sets of letters and numerals. Sold at Christie's Masters and Makers auction, 30 November 2010, lot 521 (£1000 part lot with no. 601, no. 623 and no. 634).

Inscription: 1736

Description: Rectangular with cavetto curves rising to corners and a ‘pediment’ top; fillet edging with low-relief, alternate regularly-spaced semi-circles and triangles inside; two-handled flower vase with gadrooned upper surface and symmetrical flower design in relief below; trailing vines and flowers issuing from top and descending through handles to base; human face at top; second half of date to right of vase base.

Notes: Another version, probably by a different pattern-maker, is dated 1662; a recasting; an earlier casting measures 665mm x 610mm

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: [...] 52

Description: Rectangular; ovolo-moulded edging (top and sides); repeated guilloche pattern inside top and side edges; upper centre, lozenge stamp with ovolo edges and recessed daisy flower in centre, between buckle stamps repeated twice.

Notes: The lozenge stamp is a design also seen on domestic interior panelling; the buckles suggest a Pelham family association; the buckle and lozenge are separate stamps, and in each example their relative positions differ slightly; the guilloche design appears to have been carved on the base panel; an example at The Star Inn, Alfriston, Sussex measures 665mm x 480mm.

Description: Rectangular with arched top; astragal moulded edging (top and sides); top centre, shield, supporters, coronet and motto of the 1st Baron Ashburnham: (1st & 4th) gu. a fess between six mullets ar. (Ashburnham), (2nd) az. semee of fleurs-de-lys a lion rampant guardant ar. (Holland), (3rd) erm. three crescents gu. (Kenn); on an escutcheon of pretence, sa. a chevron between three boys' heads couped at the shoulders proper each entwined around the neck with a snake vert (Vaughan). Supporters: two greyhounds sa. their faces, breasts, and feet ar. collared and lined or; below left and right, a monogram of B and J with a baron’s coronet above.

Notes: John Ashburnham, who married Bridget Vaughan in 1677, was created baron in 1689. he died in 1710. The fireback dates from between 1689 and 1710.

Inscription: LE ROY ET L’ESTAT

Arms: John, 1st Baron Ashburnham

Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging (top and sides); length of twisted rope parallel with, and equal to, top edge; length of rope, equal to side edge, repeated twice slanting from near top middle to bottom corners.

Notes: Very simple design using only two lengths of rope.

Description: Rectangular, with canted top corners; twisted rope edging (top and sides only); eight shields of Ayloffe impaling Sulyard in three rows, 3-2-3; Ayloffe: sable, a lion rampant Or, collared gules, between three crosses formy of the second; Sulyard: argent, a chevron gules between three pheons inverted sable.

Notes: William Ayloffe (c1535-1584) of Hornchurch, Essex, Justice of the Court of Queen’s Bench, married (c1560) Jane, dau. of Sir Eustace Sulyard, of Runwell, Essex. Christie's Masters and Makers Sale, South Kensington, 30 Nov 2010, lot 518 (£1,000).

Copies of this fireback are known.

Arms: Ayloffe impaling Sulyard (William Ayloffe of Bretons, Hornchurch)