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452
Description: Circular wreathed medallion, bearing the right-facing head of a man in classical dress, carried by two naked, kneeling male figures, between them a scallop shell; above the medallion a lion’s face surmounted by a flame; the medallion is surrounded by floral scrolls.
Notes: The wooden pattern would have had a circular aperture (the frame of which is just discernible) for the reception of the medallion; the same pattern was used to cast a fireback bearing the arms of George Worge, and the stamp of the profile was used on an accompanying fireplace side plate.
- Decoration tags:
- baroque (shape)
- complex individual (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- pictorial
- humans
Manufactured: in the early to mid 18th century possibly at Robertsbridge Furnace, Salehurst in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Anne of Cleves House, Southover High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, England.
Museum number: LH000.998 (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)
Citation: Dawson, C., 1903, 'Sussex Iron Work and Pottery', Sussex Archaeological Collections, 46, pp. 1-54.
- Attached to series:
- Baroque series
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453
Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging; irregular arrangement of three rope lengths at top left; rope cross above ‘V’ at middle bottom; impression of a pair of scissors between two impressions of a domestic table knife.
Notes: The knife is early-17th century in date or perhaps a bit earlier, just into Elizabeth I’s reign. The pommels date them from around this time and the long and narrow blades are right for the end of Elizabeth/early James I. The irregular rope lengths suggest this is probably part of a larger fireback.
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- simple stamps
- apotropaic
- objects
Manufactured: in the late 16th to early 17th century in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Anne of Cleves House, Southover High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, England.
Museum number: LH000.939 (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)
Citation: Moore, S., 1999, Cutlery for the Table (Sheffield, The Hallamshire Press).
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454
Description: Arched rectangular shape; rebated fillet edging; shield, helm, crest and mantling of the family of Barttelot of Stopham, Sussex.
Notes: The shield is divided into eight quarters (from left) top: Barttelot, Stopham, Lewknor, Doyley; bottom: Tregoz, Camoys, Walton and Sykeston; arms granted in this form in 1616. Walter Bartlett/Barttelot ran Pallingham furnace in the early 17th century, suggesting a possible place of manufacture.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Arms: Barttelot of Stopham
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- rebated fillet (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- armorial
Manufactured: in the early 17th century possibly at Pallingham Furnace, Wisborough Green in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Hall Place, Bexley, Kent, England.
Museum number: 1931.21.005 (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)
- Attached to series:
- Personal armorial firebacks
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455
Description: Canted rectangle; twisted rope edging (top and sides); a rope saltire in each top corner.
Notes: The edging is made from the same, short lengths of rope as the saltires.
- Decoration tags:
- canted rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- simple stamps
- apotropaic
- objects
Manufactured: in the 16th century in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Hall Place, Bexley, Kent, England.
Museum number: 1944.24.049 (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)
- Attached to series:
- Rope design firebacks
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456
Description: Arched rectangular shaped central panel with canted, concave top corners and bead edging; figure seated astride a triumph of weaponry (cannon, spears, drums), holding a laurel wreath in his right hand, symmetrical hanging drapery above; same-shaped border with fillet edging and suspended ribbons with floral bunches; at base, symmetrical reeds tied with ribbon; base panel with nine linked rings; symmetrical serpents on top.
Notes: Possibly a depiction of an allegory of Victory. Other firebacks have the same distinctive central panel, border shape and decoration at the bottom, suggesting the same pattern maker. Formerly part of the J. H. Every collection.
- Decoration tags:
- 'Dutch' (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- pictorial
- mythological
- humans
- objects
Manufactured: in the late 17th to early 18th century possibly in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Anne of Cleves House, Southover High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, England.
Museum number: 1944.24.079 (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)
- Attached to series:
- Mayfield 'Dutch' series
- British 'Dutch' style firebacks
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457
Description: Fragment; right part, prob. rectangular; twisted strip edging (top and sides); stamp of firedog with semi-circular feet, and with shields at top and bottom of shaft, the lower with quartered arms, the upper with diagonal bar over a rectangle (gate?); horizontal twisted strip length to left of firedog.
Notes: The twisted lengths clearly show the flattened form of a strip of material (poss. leather).
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- twisted leather (edging)
- simple stamps
- objects
Manufactured: in the 16th century in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Anne of Cleves House, Southover High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, England.
Museum number: LH000.914 (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)
- Attached to series:
- Firedog stamp firebacks
- Metalware stamp firebacks
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458
Description: Fragment; bottom left corner missing; rectangular; ovolo-moulded edging; initials split by date across top of plate.
Notes: The numerals show the transition between archaic and modern type styles. Formerly part of the J. H. Every collection.
Inscription: S 1753 W
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- ovolo (edging)
- individual letters
- individual numbers
- text
Manufactured: in 1753 in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Anne of Cleves House, Southover High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, England.
Museum number: LH000.922 (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)
- Attached to series:
- Date & initials firebacks
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459
Description: Arched rectangular shape; fillet edging; shield, helm, crest and mantling of the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths; date in top corners; initials at bottom, below mantling.
Notes: One of the hooked ‘1’ series; unevenly impressed, the right more deeply than the left.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: 16 50 / I M
Arms: Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- armorial
- text
Manufactured: in 1650 possibly at Brede Furnace in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Anne of Cleves House, Southover High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, England.
Museum number: 1933.34.046 (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)
Citation: Dawson, C., 1903, 'Sussex Iron Work and Pottery', Sussex Archaeological Collections, 46, pp. 1-54.
Citation: Gardner, J. S., 1898, 'Iron Casting in the Weald', Archaeologia, 56, 1, pp. 133-164.
- Attached to series:
- Livery company firebacks
- Hooked '1' series
- Brede group
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461
Description: Canted rectangle; twisted rope edging; irregularly spaced, 5 x 5 rope grid; damage to top right corner.
Notes: A 5 x 3 variant is also known.
- Decoration tags:
- canted rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- simple stamps
- objects
Manufactured: in the mid to late 16th century in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Anne of Cleves House, Southover High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, England.
Museum number: 1944.24.046 (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)
- Attached to series:
- Rope design firebacks
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462
Description: Rectangular with an arched rectangular style arch linked by symmetrical concave curves; ovolo moulding (top and sides); shield, helmet, crest and mantling of the family of Baker, of Mayfield, quartered with Farnden, of Sedlescombe: Quarterly, 1st and 4th, Argent, a tower between three keys erect sable (Baker); 2nd and 3rd, Purpure, a chevron vairy Or and gules, between three leopards’ faces Or (Farnden); crest (Baker): on a tower sable an arm embowed in mail holding in the hand a flint-stone proper. Date split by mantling.
Notes: A carved armorial on a plain, edged base board. John Baker (1644-1723) married Ruth, daughter and co-heiress of Peter Farnden, in 1663; she died in 1691. During their marriage the Farnden arms, would have been borne as an escutcheon of pretence in the centre of the arms of Baker, and not quartered with those of her husband until after her death. The date, 1690, is therefore spurious and would have been added to a later casting of what on other examples is an undated armorial fireback. The same base board has been also used for another achievement of arms dated to the 1740s.
Inscription: 16 90
Arms: Baker of Mayfield quartering Farnden of Sedlescombe
- Decoration tags:
- cavetto-canted arched rectangular (shape)
- ovolo (edging)
- carved pattern panels
- individual numbers
- armorial
- text
Manufactured: in the early to mid 18th century possibly at Heathfield Furnace in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Barbican House, High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, England.
(part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)
- Attached to series:
- Ironmasters armorial series
- Personal armorial firebacks