Firebacks

Manufactured in the Eifel area

22 results

  1. 145

    amonines.jpg
    635 x 755 mm

    Description: Arched shape; cavetto moulded edging; shield, crown, tassels and ribbons, of the combined kingdom of Castille, Aragon, Leon and Sicily.

    Notes: Probably the arms of King Charles V of Spain; quarterly (1 & 4) Castille and Leon, (2 & 3) Aragon and Aragon-Sicily.

    Inscription: 15 [?]0

    Arms: Royal House of Trastámara (Spain)

    Manufactured: in 1550 probably at Eisenschmitt Furnace in the Eifel area of Germany.

    Current location: in private hands, Érezée, Luxembourg, Belgium.

  2. 627

    ashbourne_660x780.jpg
    660 x 780 mm

    Description: Arched shape; cavetto moulded edge; double-headed eagle displayed, a Holy Roman Imperial crown above; in front, a quartered shield; a flaming pillar on each side, a motto scroll entwining each.

    Notes: The shield bears the arms of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (reigned 1519-1556), king of Spain and nephew of Katherine of Aragon, Queen of England; the pillars are a symbolic representation of the Pillars of Hercules at the Strait of Gibraltar. Some variants of this fireback do not include a date.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: PLVS OVLTRE [Further Beyond]

    Arms: Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor

    Manufactured: in 1552 possibly in the Eifel area of Germany.

    Current location: Ashbourne, Derbyshire, England.

  3. 207

    bray,_ockwells manor 01.jpg
    685 x 800 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; ovolo-moulded edge; Tudor royal shield, crown, garter and supporters (dragon and greyhound). Crowned rose on left, and crowned portcullis (grid of 16) on right side of crown; the supporters stand on a horizontal fillet; date panel with ovolo-moulding on top, central putto face splitting two parts of date with faces of putti in profile at each end.

    Notes: Arms are of Edward VI. A very clear casting, almost certainly from the original pattern. 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.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: HONI SOIT QVI MAL I PENSE / 15 48

    Arms: Tudor royal Edward VI

    Manufactured: in 1548 possibly at Eisenschmitt Furnace in the Eifel area of Germany.

    Current location: in private hands, Cox Green, Berkshire, England.

    Citation: Hodgkinson, J. S., 2010, British Cast-Iron Firebacks of the 16th to Mid-18th Centuries (Crawley, Hodgers Books).

    Citation: Kippenberger, A. 1973, Die Kunst der Ofenplatten (Düsseldorf, Verlag Stahleisen), p. 107.

    Citation: Schubert, H. R., 1957, History of the British Iron and Steel Industry (London, Routledge), pp. 256-264.

  4. 810

    bray,_ockwells manor 02.jpg
    805 x 654 mm

    Description: Rectangular; carved strip with undulating vine between fillets, repeated on each side; carved inscription panel along top edge; centre, two traceried panels, each with a central shield beneath a gothic arch.

    Notes: One of several similar firebacks produced in the same period.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: JHESUS MARIA JHONES

    Manufactured: in the early 16th century possibly in the Eifel area of Germany.

    Current location: in private hands, Cox Green, Berkshire, England.

    Citation: Driesch, K. von den , 1990, Handbuch der Ofen-, Kamin- und Takenplatten im Rheinland (Cologne, Rheinland-Verlag).

  5. 888

    cowden,_crippenden 01.jpg
    660 x 675 mm

    Description: Triple arched rectangular shape, centre arch higher; each arch supported by pilasters; within centre arch, cloaked, bearded male figure wearing a crown and carrying a ewer and what appear to be a pile of plates; in left arch, above first half of date, a clothed female figure carrying a goblet and possibly a candle on a staff; in the right arch, above the second half of the date, a clothed female figure holding a distaff and a length of wool; there is a narrow panel at the bottom; on the outside of the arches are scroll-shaped protusions.

    Notes: The shape of this fireback is relatively uncommon, and the significance of the figures may relate to a particular narrative.

    Inscription: 16 28

    Manufactured: in 1628 possibly in the Eifel area of Germany.

    Current location: in private hands, Cowden, Kent, England.

  6. 103

    haslemere_museum 01.jpg
    320 x 250 mm

    Description: Rectangular; flanged or astragal and fillett edging; female portrait in a medallion of three concentric rings; date split between four corners

    Notes: An unusually small stoveplate.

    Inscription: 1 6 [?0] 4

    Manufactured: in 1604 possibly in the Eifel area of Germany.

    Current location: Haslemere Educational Museum, Haslemere, Surrey, England.

    (part of the Haslemere Educational Museum museum group)

  7. 336

    huddington_court 04.jpg
    453 x 535 mm

    Description: Arched shape; cavetto moulded edge; double-headed eagle displayed, a crown above; in front, a quartered shield.

    Notes: The shield bears the arms of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (reigned 1519-1556), king of Spain and nephew of Katherine of Aragon, Queen of England.

    Arms: Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor

    Manufactured: in the mid 16th century possibly in the Eifel area of Germany.

    Current location: in private hands, Huddington, Worcestershire, England.

  8. 357

    knowle,_baddesley clinton 02.jpg
    550 x 697 mm

    Description: Stove side plate; ovolo moulded edging; upper panel, pictorial scene of Jesus and the woman of Samaria (John: 4), with inscription below; lower panel, two circular frames, each with a figure, male to the right, female to the left, decorative scroll work between.

    Notes: Stove plates were often used as firebacks once the stoves had been replaced by more efficient ones.

    Inscription: VON DEN FREWLEIN VON SAMARIA IOHAN 4

    Manufactured: in the late 16th to early 17th century in the Eifel area of Germany.

    Current location: Baddesley Clinton Hall, Knowle, Warwickshire, England.

    (part of the National Trust museum group)

  9. 420

    lewes,_sussex arch soc 055.jpg
    580 x 460 mm

    Description: Rectanglular; flanged cavetto-moulded edging; pictorial scene of Christ and the woman of Samaria at Jacob's Well.

    Notes: Stoveplate; the scene illustrates the story from John 4.

    Manufactured: in the late 16th to early 17th century possibly in the Eifel area of Germany.

    Current location: Anne of Cleves House, Southover High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, England.

    Museum number: LH000.797 (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)

    Citation: Dawson, C., 1903, 'Sussex Iron Work and Pottery', Sussex Archaeological Collections, 46, pp. 1-54.

  10. 421

    lewes,_sussex arch soc 056.jpg
    950 x 550 mm

    Description: Rectangular; flanged edge; central pictorial panel illustrating Mordecai arriving before King Ahasuerus, Haman hanging from the gallows behind; two floral side panels, at the top of each a monogram within a cartouche: on the left KS, on the right H?D.

    Notes: Stoveplate; the scene illustrates a scene from Esther 7: 10 and 8: 1. Formerly part of the J. H. Every collection.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: KS H[?]D

    Manufactured: in the late 16th to early 17th century possibly in the Eifel area of Germany.

    Current location: Anne of Cleves House, Southover High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, England.

    Museum number: 1944.24.040 (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)