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810
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
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- simple stamps
- carved stamps
- architectural
- armorial
- text
Manufactured: in the early-16th century possibly in the Eifel area of Germany.
Current location: in private hands, Cox Green, Berkshire, England.
- Attached to series:
- Foreign armorial firebacks
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1025
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
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- none (edging)
- carved stamps
- heraldic
- historical
- armorial
- animals
- humans
- objects
Manufactured: in the early-16th century in the Lorraine area of Germany.
Current location: not known.
- Attached to series:
- Foreign armorial firebacks
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565
Description: Rectangular; flanged edging; small guilloche pattern down each side and along the bottom; upper panel, pictorial scene of the Marriage at Cana; lower panel, inscription panel within a strapwork cartouche with flowers below.
Notes: An end stove plate with a popular scene from the New Testament - John 2.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: 16 H 38
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- flanged (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- pictorial
- biblical
- text
- humans
Manufactured: in 1638 possibly in the Siegerland area of Germany.
Current location: Folkestone Library and Heritage Centre, Grace Street, Folkestone, Kent, England.
(part of the Folkestone Library and Heritage Centre museum group)
- Attached to series:
- Stoveplates
- Marriage at Cana stoveplates
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310
Description: Arched rectangular central panel with bead edging; pictorial scene of Venus, naked and kneeling, and Adonis, standing, holding a spear in his left hand, with Cupid to the left, and a hound and a quiver of arrows below to the right; arched rectangular border with fillet edging; descending swags of fruit and seashells enclosing the central panel; inscription in an oval cartouche at the bottom; on top, a Holy Roman Imperial crown between two mirrored dolphins, heads downward.
Notes: The scene is based on the painting (c.1635) of Venus and Adonis by Peter Paul Rubens; the initials, L8G, denote the style of border - other firebacks having the same inscription have the same border - and other borders are denoted by similar inscriptions (e.g. L6C and L7C). Von den Driesch (p.520) illustrates the same central image within an L7C border.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: L8G
- Decoration tags:
- 'Dutch' (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- pictorial
- mythological
- text
- humans
Manufactured: in the late-17th century in the Siegerland area of Germany.
Current location: Hampton Court Palace, Richmond, Greater London, England.
Museum number: 1042 (part of the Royal Collection museum group)
- Attached to series:
- 'Dutch' LC/G series
- Venus and Adonis firebacks
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562
Description: Rectangular; flanged edging; main panel, pictorial scene of Adam and Eve with, between them, the Tree of Life, bearing fruit, entwined by a serpent; bottom panel indistinct.
Notes: A much worn plate.
Copies of this fireback are known.
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- flanged (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- pictorial
- biblical
- humans
Manufactured: in the mid- to late-16th century possibly in the Wallonia area of Belgium.
Current location: Petworth House, Petworth, West Sussex, England.
Museum number: NT/PET/M/56 (part of the National Trust museum group)
- Attached to series:
- Stoveplates
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573
Description: Rectangular with fillet sides and bottom; scrolled foliage on outside edges; date in narrow rectangular panel at bottom; central pictorial representation of four historical figures (see below), three male in mid-17th century armour, and one female; tripple arched top formed of rococo scrolls, a putto forming the middle arch.
Notes: The inscription may relate to the defeat of the Spanish at s'Hertogenbosch (den Bosch - ENDE BUSH) in 1629, and Wesel. von den Driesch states that the figures, from left to right, are: Prinz Fredrik Henrik of Oranje, his daughter, Luise Henriette, Prince Maurice of Nassau, and the Elector Friedrich Wilhelm of Brandenburg, who married Luise Henriette. Foreign craftsmanship may account for the incorrect spelling of Dutch names.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: PRESNTZI VAN WESEL ENDE BVSH / 1667
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular with three arches (shape)
- complex individual (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- pictorial
- historical
- royal
- text
- humans
Manufactured: in 1667 possibly in the Siegerland area of Germany.
Current location: Petworth House, Petworth, West Sussex, England.
Museum number: NT/PET/M/64 (part of the National Trust museum group)
- Attached to series:
- 'Dutch' Miscellaneous Firebacks
- Commemorative firebacks
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574
Description: Arched rectangular central panel with arch and bead edging within a similarly shaped cavetto-moulded border and pomegranates on to and on the ach shoulder of the plate; pictorial representation of the king of Sweden mounted on a horse.
Notes: The king would be Gustav II. There is a companion fireback bearing the image of Prince Fredrik Henrik of Oranje.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: DIE KONINCK VON SWEDEN
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular with arch above arch (shape)
- cavetto (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- pictorial
- historical
- royal
- text
- animals
- humans
Manufactured: in the mid- to late-17th century in the Siegerland area of Germany.
Current location: Petworth House, Petworth, West Sussex, England.
Museum number: NT/PET/M/65 (part of the National Trust museum group)
- Attached to series:
- 'Dutch' Miscellaneous Firebacks
- Commemorative firebacks
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540
Description: Arched rectangular central panel with bead edging; pictorial scene of Venus sitting in a couch, with two other females, swathed in drapery, a putto holding an oval mirror to her left; Arched rectangular border with fillet edging; central cartouche at top, with festoons of fruit, flowers and leaves suspended on each side from ribbons supported by rings; at the bottom, swirled ribbon around an oval compartment bearing the inscription; on top, a central cartouche from which descend a cornucopia on each side of the arch.
Notes: The design is a copy of 'The Toilet of Venus' by Simon Vouet (c.1640); the image has been reversed. The inscription indicates the style of border; other firebacks with the same inscription have the same border; similar inscriptions (e.g. L7C and L8G) indicate different borders. Von den Driesch (p.517) illustrates the same central image within an L8G border.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: L6C
- Decoration tags:
- 'Dutch' (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- pictorial
- mythological
- text
- humans
Manufactured: in the mid- to late-17th century in the Siegerland area of Germany.
Current location: Petworth House, Petworth, West Sussex, England.
Museum number: NT/PET/M/95 (part of the National Trust museum group)
- Attached to series:
- 'Dutch' LC/G series
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703
Description: Rectangular; cavetto moulded edging; pictorial scene of the siege of Bethulia, with Judith placing the severed head of Holofernes into the bag held by her maid; in the lower panel are the top parts of four knightly figures.
Notes: The design is after one by the pattern-maker, Philipp Soldan, and derived from a woodcut of an engraving by Israhel van Meckenhem; it illustrates scenes from the Apocryphal book of Judith.
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- cavetto (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- pictorial
- biblical
- humans
Manufactured: in the late-16th century in the Eifel area of Germany.
Current location: Tiverton Castle, Tiverton, Devon, England.
- Attached to series:
- Stoveplates
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730
Description: Rectangular; flanged fillet edging; single date stampo above a pictorial scene showing the cricifixion with members of the Holy family, soldiers and onllokers surrounding the three crosses; kinscription betlow separating a separate pictorial panel illegible through corrosion; a single letter 'I' in top right corner.
Notes: A characteristic stove-plate of the period.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: 1574 I / INRI / MATTEUS AM 27 CAPITEL
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- flanged (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- individual letters
- pictorial
- biblical
- text
- humans
Manufactured: in 1574 possibly in the Sudeifel area of Germany.
Current location: Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, Kensington & Chelsea, Greater London, England.
Museum number: M.126-1914 (part of the Victoria & Albert Museum museum group)
Citation: Anon., 2 Dec 1905, 'Old Kent and Sussex Fire-backs', Country Life, pp. 767-768.
- Attached to series:
- Stoveplates