Firebacks

Description: Arched rectangular central panel with alternate two-bead and pellet edging; table with draped cloth surmounted by a basket containing fruit, swagged drapery above; arched rectangular border with fillet edging; descending vine with leaves and berries; bottom centre, initials separated by a lozenge; on top, symmetrical swirled foliage.

Notes: Typical pastiche of the 'Dutch' style of fireback produced with the option to affix it to a basket grate. Formerly part of the J. H. Every collection.

Inscription: I T

Description: Rectangular; triple-moulded edging (top and sides); top left, initials RKI in triad; top right, date.

Notes: The initials probably relate to a husband and wife, the top initial being that of their surname. Formerly part of the J. H. Every collection.

Inscription: RKI [triad] 1683

Description: Carved wooden fireback pattern. Arched rectangular central panel, astragal and fillet edge, pictorial, Hercules, sword in hand, preparing to slay the Hydra; arched rectangular border, fillet edge, ivy leaves and tendrils, monogram at bottom; swirled foliage on top.

Notes: Unusually for a pattern, it was carved from a single piece of wood; formerly in the custody of William Hobday (d. 1883), last surviving ironworker at Ashburnham furnace, this pattern was given to the Sussex Archaeological Society by the Revd. J. Bickersteth.

Inscription: TAN

Description: Carved wooden fireback pattern. Arched rectangular central panel with astragal and fillet edging; Phaëton riding Apollo’s chariot across the skies, the sun to the left behind clouds, a lion on ground below, between two trees; arched rectangular border with fillet edging; trailing convolvulus leaves surround the central panel.

Notes: The illustration upon which the design has been based has not been identified, save that it figures in book II of Ovid's Metamorphoses. The convolvulus border is a common feature of this series of firebacks; given to the Sussex Archaeological Society by the Rev. J. Bickersteth.

Description: Rectangular; cyma curve and fillet edging; crowned Tudor rose within a pediment resting on Tuscan pilasters and pedestals; faint impression of a shield bearing a lion rampant repeated in each top corner.

Notes: The width of this fireback may indicate that another fireback in this series was used as its pattern and the shields added before casting.

Description: Low-arched shape within broad fillet edging; on a plain field a Tudor royal shield, quarterly France Modern and England, supported by a stylised dragon and greyhound and surmounted by a crown, all resting on a two-stepped compartment with cavetto- and astragal-moulded edging at the top.

Notes: Pastiche 'Tudor' design by George Shaw of Saddleworth, Lancashire, c.1850, possibly intended to be passed off as genuine Tudor. Examples are also to be found in Warkworth Castle and Cheetham's Library, Manchester, both with a leaf pattern on the edging and 'scales' on the dragon. Firebacks of the same armorial design within a different, arched rectangular, edging are known, an example being at Hever Castle, Kent.

Arms: Tudor royal

Description: Rectangular with two-stepped top; twisted rope edging (top and sides) formed of short rope sections, with top vertical sections extending down beyond the join with the next horizontal section; top centre, stamp formed of a talbot statant guardant upon a wreath; date separated by crest stamp; initials below and separated by date.

Notes: The talbot crest has been seen on other firebacks indicating a common source.

Inscription: 16 21 / R T

Description: Canted rectangle; twisted rope edging (top and sides); initials in triad to left of date (7 reversed), all between two twisted rope saltires.

Notes: The distinctive form of the number '5' has been seen on another fireback indicating a common source.

Inscription: RAE [triad] 1657

Description: Fragment; rectangular; twisted rope edging (top and side); top centre, crowned Tudor royal shield (over-pressed) above a crowned shield (over-pressed) bearing initials above a fleur-de-lys; to left, a leopard passant guardant sinister diagonally position with its rear toward the bottom left corner; to right, a leopard passant, also diagonally positioned, its rear towards the bottom right; in the top corners, a crowned four-petalled rose (over-pressed); below the left rose, a left-directed ‘imp’ figure looking right, its arms lowered; bottom right, a left-directed ‘imp’ figure, its left arm raised; to right of the lower shield, a four-petalled rose askew.

Notes: One of the ‘Royal’ series.

Arms: Tudor royal arms of England

Description: Arched rectangular shaped central panel, bead edging (top and sides), pedestal bearing a supine male figure with headband being trampled by a horse, facing left, mounted by a rider with long hair, facing to the front; on each side of the plinth is a seated figure with a basket of fruit; the inscription is split either side of the horse; arched rectangular shaped border, fillet edging, on each side a Solomonic column with vine decoration; in the arch, symmetrical parallel curved lines intertwined beneath a crown; on top of each shoulder of the plate a female figure in repose.

Notes: The equestrian figure is derived from the statue of Charles II erected in Stocks Market, London, in 1672. Originally to be of Jan Sobieski, later king of Poland, riding down a Tatar, it was altered to represent Charles, and the Tatar’s face was changed to that of Oliver Cromwell; the statue attracted a fair degree of derision. The 'CC' monogram is likely to be for Charles and Catherine (of Braganza). The statue is now at Newby Hall, near Ripon, North Yorkshire. Another version (no. 280) is dated 1674 and has altered initials.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: CC [interlocked, and the first reversed] R