Firebacks

Manufactured in England

864 results

  1. 887

    cowden,_crippenden 03.jpg
    1470 x 800 mm

    Description: Rectangular; stepped fillet edging (top and sides), ending short of bottom of plate; rose and crown stamp repeated three times across top of plate, with initials 'IT' followed by a rose stamp to left, and a rose stamp followed by the date to right (1 or I crossed in both cases); concentric roundel stamp between each pair of rose and crown stamps; lower down, five small fleurs-de-lys between four concentric roundels; below left, initials FED in triad; below right, FRD in triad (D reversed).

    Notes: An alleged connection with the Tichborne family who lived at Crippenden in Cowden, Kent, may be justified if the initials, IT, refer to John Tichborne, the last of his family in the village, who died in 1708. The identities of those whose initials form the two triads is not known. The style of rose and crown is similar to that used in gun founding in the Tudor period, suggesting that the furnace that was the source of this fireback may have been used for that purpose.

    Inscription: IT 1699 / EFD [triad] RFD [triad]

    Manufactured: in 1699 in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Crippenden Manor, Cowden, Kent, England.

  2. 38

    cowfold_cottage tandoori.jpg
    1145 x 595 mm

    Description: Rectangular; fillet and astragal edging; initials between date in one horizontal line, upper half of plate.

    Inscription: 16 ES 57

    Manufactured: in 1657 possibly in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Cowfold Cottage Tandoori, Cowfold, West Sussex, England.

  3. 1210

    cowper,_hawkshead_1899.jpg
    ~1130 x ~1285 mm

    Description: Individually designed quasi-arched rectangular shape; astragal edging; central portico with framed doorway and sloping roof, in which stands a male figure dressed in contemporary style; above the roof, the date, and above that, the initials TKM arranged in triad and around a flower head, this inscription enclosed within a five-sided ribbon compartment held at the top corners by a pair of mirrored dancing cherubs each of which holds in their outer hand a wand surmounted by a fleur-de-lys; below them are mirrored vine designs terminating in a grape bunch, and below each of them a mirrored swirled snake, its head reversed; towards the outer side of these snakes are a pair of mirrored birds within a curved cartouche of slightly raised relief that is associated with a swirl on each side of the fireback that terminates the astragal edging on each side and which ascends via a step surmounted by a miniature urn on each shoulder of the back to the top which is surmounted by an acorn shape; above the ribbons held by the cherubs, is a stylised crown between the initials AR; the above features are limited by a horizontal astragal, though the portico descends below it, and which is supported at each end by a simple Doric column enclosing the bottom panel which is otherwise plain.

    Notes: The initials AR are of Anna Regina - Queen Anne. Finely cast but of naïve design, another fireback of the same design but with different inscriptions and dated 1723 is Bowness on Windermere. Illustration from Cowper, 1899, p.179.

    Inscription: A R / TKM [triad] / 1714

    Manufactured: in 1714 possibly at Backbarrow Furnace in the Furness area of England.

    Current location: Low Graythwaite, Hawkshead, Cumbria, England.

    Citation: Cowper, H. S., 1899, Hawkshead: its History, Archaeology, Industries, Folklore, Dialect, etc., etc. (London, Bemrose).

  4. 1007

    cowper_1.jpg
    1219 x 660 mm

    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 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).

    Inscription: R 1627 S

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

    Manufactured: in 1627 possibly at Hawkhurst Furnace in the Weald area of England.

    Current location:.

    Citation: Cowper, H. S., 1911, 'A Series of Kentish Heraldic Firebacks and the Identification of the Arms', Archaeologia Cantiana, 29, pp. 40-6.

  5. 1039

    cranbrook,_branden.jpg
    1070 x 767 mm

    Description: Canted rectangular shape; twisted rope edging (top and sides) in short lengths; top centre, initials above date.

    Notes: The initials are likely to be those of Richard Holden, clothier of Cranbrook, who inherited Branden near Sissinghurst in 1623 and who was living there in 1659.

    Inscription: RH / 1659

    Manufactured: in 1659 probably at Biddenden Furnace in the Weald area of England.

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

    Citation: Holden, E. S., 1897, 'The Holden Family of Cranbrook, Kent, England', New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 51, pp. 214-218.

  6. 884

    cranbrook,_george hotel.jpg
    1343 x 614 mm

    Description: Canted rectangle; stepped fillet edging (top and sides); twisted rope lengths parallel to top and parallel to each side, forming six compartments; side compartments: seven double fleurs-de-lys in vertical line; top corner compartments: one double fleur-de-lys angled parallel to canting; top compartment: date in centre, initials repeated at each end, three fleurs between date and initials, centre fleur perpendicular to others; main compartment: one fleur in each top corner, line of beads inside rope line, semi-circular at corners.

    Notes: The arc shape and use of repeated beads suggests a common source with other firebacks of the same period.

    Inscription: RR / 1688 / RR

    Manufactured: in 1688 in the Forest of Dean area of England.

    Current location: The George Hotel, Stone Street, Cranbrook, Kent, England.

  7. 39

    cranbrook_museum.jpg
    805 x 640 mm

    Description: Quasi-arched rectangular shaped with cavetto canted top corners; fillet edging; two V-shaped arrangements of laths, one inverted and superimposed over the other, in centre of plate; date split on either side; initials in triangular arrangement above laths.

    Notes: The shape of the fireback is very similar to firebacks at Knole, Sevenoaks, of similar date, and may be the product of the same furnace; the 'X' shapes may have apotropaic significance.

    Inscription: 17 RSL 28

    Manufactured: in 1728 in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Cranbrook Museum, Cranbrook, Kent, England.

    Citation: Easton, T. & Hodgkinson, J. S., 2013, 'Apotropaic Symbols on Cast-Iron Firebacks', Jnl. of the Antique Metalware Soc., 21, pp. 14-33.

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

  8. 1037

    criterion_auctions, bath, lot 168 10 sep 2016 350x420.jpg
    350 x 420 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; fillet edging; central rose with stem and two branches with leaves, surmounted by a crown.

    Notes: The rose is more naturalistic than heraldic. Criterion Auctions, Bath, 10 Sep 2016 lot 168.

    Manufactured: in the early to mid 17th century in England.

    Current location:.

  9. 487

    criterion_auctions, bath, lot 168 10 sep 2016 880x580.jpg
    880 x 580 mm

    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

    Manufactured: in the mid to late 17th century in England.

    Current location: in private hands.

  10. 857

    croft_castle 01.jpg
    790 x 670 mm

    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

    Manufactured: in the early 17th century possibly in the Herefordshire area of England.

    Current location: Croft Castle, Yarpole, Herefordshire, England.

    Museum number: 537532 (part of the National Trust museum group)