Firebacks

Description: Rectangular; plain edging; asymmetrical arrangement of stamps: top right, three 'renaissance' style shield stamps with a 'PL' monogram above two [?]bougets, in a triangular arrangement bases uppermost; top centre, a shield, indented at the top, charged with a bird upon a branch; top left, crowned shield of France Modern between two inverted 'PL' monogram shields above a bird shield; to the right, a broad bladed dagger, point uppermost.

Notes: The dagger is of the cinquedea style, introduced from Italy in the early-16th century, length approx. 38cm; the bird shield stamp has been seen on other firebacks. Wilkinson's Auctioneers, Doncaster, 24 Feb 2019, lot 534 (£650).

Inscription: PL [in five shields]

Arms: 'France Modern'

Description: Central panel of arched rectangular shape with cavetto canted corners and bead edging; figure seated astride a triumph of weaponry (cannon, spears, drums), holding a laurel wreath in his right hand, surrounded by martial objects (flags, cannon, drums etc.), symmetrical hanging drapery above; same-shaped border with fillet edging and suspended ribbons with floral bunches; at base, symmetrical reeds tied with ribbon.

Notes: Possibly a depiction of an allegory of Victory. Other firebacks have the same distinctively shaped central panel and border shape, suggesting the same pattern maker. A reduced variant of a more elaborate fireback (no. 456) but missing mirrored serpents on top.

Description: Arched rectangular shape; gadrooned edging (top and sides); initials, in separate stamps, at top of arch; date probably in separate stamps, below; spindle used as a stamp repeated three times, one between date and initial stamps, the other two below to left and right.

Notes: The same base board and spindle have been used for other firebacks of the same period. A similar casting (no. 1284) has the 'W' in a slightly different position.

Inscription: I W / 16 22

Description: Arched rectangular shape; ovolo moulded edging; Tudor royal shield, garter, crown, motto and supporters (crowned lion and dragon), temp. Elizabeth I; initials in space on either side of top of garter; the top of the lion's crown and the dragon's ear overlap the edging.

Notes: The initials have been added to an early recasting; another version has a rose and portcullis either side of the crown, and the top of the lion's crown and the dragon's ear do not overlap the edging.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: I G / [Garter] HONI SOIT QVI MAL E PENSE / [motto] DIEV ET MON DROIT

Arms: Tudor royal

Description: Rectangular with 5-facetted arch; twisted rope edging; centre top, rectangular stamp, over-pressed, with crown above initials in bottom corners; diamond shaped stamp with fleur-de-lys repeated each side of crown, both over-pressed.

Notes: Notable for the large size of the fleur-de-lys stamp; this casting differs from another (no. 486) in the placement of the stamps. Formerly at Parsonage Farm, Steeple Bumpstead, Essex.

Inscription: E R

Description: Rectangular shape; twisted rope edging (top and sides); upper centre, two evenly-spaced, medium-sized twisted rope crosses.

Notes: Formerly (1950) at Maidstone, Kent. Illustration from Schubert, 1950.

Description: Arched rectangular shaped; fillet edging with embattled relief inside; shield, helm, crest and mantling of the Blacksmiths' Company. RN monogram in top right corner.

Notes: Arms of the Blacksmiths' company: Sable, a chevron Or between three hammers Argent and crowned with open crowns of the second; crest: a phoenix in flames rising proper. The arms were granted in 1611. Several different versions of these arms are to be found on firebacks. The attribution of this fireback to the series usually identified by the monogram RN is tentative, it being a copy and a substantial amount of surface detail imperfectly rendered.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Arms: Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths

Description: Arched rectangular shape; twisted rope edging (top, and sides short of bottom), with shoulder edging extending into base of arch; upper centre, date '1602' slanting down to right; below date, initials 'IPD' in triad.

Notes: The initials are likely to be those of a couple whose surname begins with 'P'.

Inscription: 1602 / I P D [triad]

Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging (top and sides); top row, two square-within-a-square arrangements of twisted rope between three stamps formed of Gothic tracery cresting; 2nd row, two more tracery cresting stamps between two crowned, star-embossed butter mould stamps with a crowned rose-en-soleil stamp in the middle; 3rd row, three star-embossed butter mould stamps with two pairs of fleurs-de-lys between them; bottom row, seven fleurs-de-lys; plus intersepersed fragments of cresting and short rope lengths, a vertical arrangement of cresting fragments down the right side and a vertical, zig-zag arrangement of rope lengths on the left side.

Notes: The rose-en-soleil was the badge of King Edward IV and, thus, a Yorkist symbol. Many of the stamps employed on this fireback are seen, with other stamps, on a wide variety of firebacks, suggesting a common source; similar gothic tracery cresting can be seen as pierced cresting on a rare late-Medieval, wooden Easter sepulchre at the redundant church of St Michael at Cowthorpe, North Yorkshire. A similar fireback is at Anne of Cleves House, Lewes (no. 371). Christie's auction, 24 May 2001.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Description: Rectangular with pediment arch; wide fillet edging rebated in side edge; upper centre, initials formed of individual letters; an unidentified series of shapes in relief in the top right corner may be thumb prints.

Notes: The edging and letter ‘W’ are very similar to those on the ‘1589’ series of firebacks and may have the same origin. Formerly at Bay Hall, Benington, Lincolnshire.

Inscription: WE