Firebacks

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 have a different date (e.g. see no. 627) or none at all.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: PLUS OVLTRE [Further Beyond]

Arms: Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor

Description: Arch-shaped; fillet edge; Tudor shield, crown (with a circlet of acanthus leaves), garter (motto clockwise) and supporters. Crowned rose on dexter, and crowned portcullis (grid of 16) on sinister side of crown; the supporters, a dragon and a greyhound, stand on separate plinths; on the plinth below the greyhound is the number 28, probably half of the date 1528, the other part missing on the left side.

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: HONY SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE / 28

Arms: Tudor royal

Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging on top and sides; cavetto-moulded-edged rectangle top centre, enclosing date between initials; 14 shields of Ayloffe impaling Sulyard arranged 5-4-5; 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 Bretons, Hornchurch, Essex, Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench, married (c1560) Jane, dau. of Sir Eustace Sulyard, of Runwell, Essex. A large number of variants use the same shields; this example, unusually, has the initials RS instead of the more common CT. Illustration from Cowper (1911). Previously at Loddenden, Staplehurst, and before that at Great Cheveney, Marden, Kent.

Inscription: R 1627 S

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

Description: Rectangular; cavetto-moulded edging; shield, garter, supporters and crown of the English royal house of Stuart.

Notes: One of many designs of the Stuart royal arms on firebacks. Another, corroded version of this fireback measures 900mm x 610mm. Criterion Auctions, Bath, 10 Sep 2016 lot 168.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: HONY SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE

Arms: English Stuart royal

Description: Rectangular with detached pediment linked by S-curves, protruding from each of which is a small scroll; cavetto-moulded edging (top and sides); quartered shield with helm, crest and mantling; initials in top corners.

Notes: The arms are of Sir Julius Caesar (1558-1636), judge and politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer 1606-13. Blazon: Quarterly, 1st and 4th, Gules, three roses argent, on a chief of the second three roses of the first (Caesar); 2nd, argent, two bars sable, on a chief of the second three swans of the first (?Martin); 3rd, gules, three crescents argent (Peryent/Perin). Crest: a dolphin embowed in the sea vert. This example has the additional initials, TC. The style of the carving is the same as on two other firebacks in the same county.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: T C

Arms: Caesar

Description: Composite; canted arched rectangular shape; armorial fireback, cavetto edging, with Stuart Royal arms, garter, supporters, crown and motto, and 1620 date above crown; this overlies a canted rectangular plate, with twisted rope edging, fillet; two quasi-horizontal fillets from the tops of the vertical sides to the middle of the armorial fireback separate the back into two uneven parts, the date in the top part, split by the armorial, and a fleur-de-lys at the top of the lower part, also separated by the armorial.

Notes: The use of the armorial back is seen frequently and probably dates from 1619, though the date is usually altered; in this case the alteration does not match the more prominent date for the fireback; photograph ex T. Crowther & Son Ltd, 1985.

Inscription: 16 29 / HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE / 16 37 / DIEV ET MON DROIT

Arms: English Stuart royal

Description: Quasi-rectangular shape; top, crowned robed statuary figure holding a book, repeated three times, interspersed with a naked child statuary figure playing a flute; bottom, shield and coronet to left, small shield, helm and crest to right, all between a crude dog figure repeated on each side; the whole plate dotted randomly with a repeated small gadrooned bead stamp.

Notes: The figures are from wall-mounted statuary. The shield and coronet are those of the Duchy of Lorraine prior to 1538; blazon: Quarterly, 1. barry of eight gules and argent (Hungary) impaling azure semy-de-lis Or a label gules (Naples); 2. argent a cross potent and four crosslets Or (Jerusalem) impaling Or four pallets gules (Aragon); 3. azure semy-de-lis Or a bordure gules (Valois-Anjou); 4. azure crusilly fitchy, two barbels addorsed Or (Bar); overall an inescutcheon Or a bend gules three alerions argent (Lorraine). The figure holding the book is that of St Catherine of Siena (see von den Driesch, pp. 220, 222).

Arms: Duchy of Lorraine

Description: Arched rectangular shape with a 'flame' on each shoulder and a broken one on top of the arch; fillet and cavetto-moulded edging; lower centre, shield with impaled arms, dexter two bars in high relief, sinister a crowned lion rampant, all in front of a foliate cartouche terminating in mirrored swirls below the shield; above, a beaded coronet; in the arch, the date split either side of mirrored foliate swags suspended from a bow and from a flower in each shoulder, with a short central vertical swag above the coronet.

Notes: A fireback in high relief with an inserted date.

Inscription: 16 62

Arms: not known

Description: Quasi-arched rectangular shape upon a moulded plinth; on a background comprising foliate swirls, a central shield, helm, coronet and elaborate mantling, with a crest of a forward facing centaur armed with a drawn bow pointed to the sinister side, and behind which are six pennons, three each side display in a v-shape; to the left, a triumph comprising a drum, draped flag on pole, concealing an arquebus, halberd and breastplate, and a broad-brimmed hat with feather; to the right, a triumph comprising a drum, a breast plate and tassets, a powder horn, and partially concealed arquebus, sword and spear, and a broad-brimmed hat with feather; at the base, a horizontal fillet with scrolled ends and squatting 'rodents'.

Notes: An uncharacteristic fireback designed and cast for the family of Joan Huydecoper (1625-1704). A variant without the base plinth and 'rodents' is in the collection of Museum Rotterdam (inv. 15224).

Inscription: ANNO 1647

Arms: Joan Huydecoper

Description: Pentagonal; convex, twisted cloth edging with inner fillet; Tudor royal shield, garter, crown and supporters (crowned lion and dragon); initials split by crown; date split by garter buckle.

Notes: Royal arms of Queen Elizabeth I; uncommon edging.

Inscription: E R / HONY SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE / 1585

Arms: Tudor royal (Elizabeth I)