Firebacks

Manufactured in England

882 results

  1. 867

    new_york, met museum 02.jpg
    457 x 711 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular central panel; bead-and-pellet edging; pictorial scene of a male figure, standing on a ground with trees and animals, with a quiver of arrows and holding a bow in his left hand; clouds above; arched rectangular border with fillet edging; repeated, linked scroll-work on all sides; on top symmetrical leaves between two mirrored serpents.

    Notes: The figure is probably that of Apollo.

    Manufactured: in the early-18th century in England.

    Current location: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000, Fifth Avenue, New York, New York, United States of America.

    Museum number: 08.81.2 (part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art museum group)

  2. 868

    new_york, met museum 03.jpg
    356 x 597 mm

    Description: Rectangular with arched, mirrored scrolls on top and central scallop shell, below which are swagged drapes with a central tassel; fillet edging; in a grove, to the left a putto blowing a horn, to the right a semi-naked female figure seated, holding the tail of a fish, with two ?dogs at her feet; at the bottom, narrow panel with symmetrical scrolled foliate decoration.

    Notes: Like others in the series, the scene is not immediately identifiable with a scene in classical mythology.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Manufactured: in the early-18th century in England.

    Current location: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000, Fifth Avenue, New York, New York, United States of America.

    Museum number: 08.81.6 (part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art museum group)

  3. 549

    new_york,_met_museum_05_a.jpg
    381 x 610 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shaped central panel, bead on fillet edging, narrow-necked urn with flowers issuing therefrom; arched rectangular shaped border with fillet edging and symmetrical floral festoons; on top, stylised fish with floral accessories; at bottom, two looped 'W' figures between date split between bottom corners.

    Notes: The smallest of six flower vase designs in this series. All incorporate the looped 'W' motif which may be intended to identify the pattern maker. The small size of this fireback makes it likely that it was intended to be fixed to the back of a grate.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: 17 24

    Manufactured: in 1724 in England.

    Current location: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000, Fifth Avenue, New York, New York, United States of America.

    Museum number: 08.81.3 (part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art museum group)

  4. 500

    newbury_museum 01.jpg
    510 x 760 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shaped central panel with astragal and fillet edge, pictorial, a bald, naked man, standing on a mound, holding a baton in his left hand, surrounded by leaf fronds to left and right, and clouds above; arched rectangular shaped border, fillet edging, hanging leaf clusters to left and right, swirled lines above, and draped foliage with monogram at base; on top are two serpents and draped foliage.

    Notes: The figure may represent Pheidippides, the messenger between Athens and Sparta during the Battle of Marathon in 490BC.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: TAN

    Manufactured: in the early-18th century probably at Ashburnham Furnace in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: West Berkshire Museum, Newbury, Berkshire, England.

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

    Citation: Hodgkinson, J. S., Autumn 2005, ‘An Ashburnham Fireback’, WIRG Newsletter, 42, Newsletter of the Wealden Iron Research Group, p. 8.

    Citation: Lloyd, N., 1925, 'Domestic Ironwork I', Architectural Review, 58, pp. 58-67.

  5. 846

    newick,_vuggles.jpg
    955 x 525 mm

    Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging (top and sides); floriated trefoil stamp repeated in two rows of four in the upper two-thirds of the plate; between the middle four stamps, two small crosses of twisted rope, one above the other; between each outer group of four stamps a large cross of twisted rope.

    Notes: The floriated trefoils may have been derived from a metal ornament.

    Manufactured: in the mid- to late-16th century in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: in private hands, Barcombe, East Sussex, England.

  6. 502

    newick_park 03.jpg
    600 x >435 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; embattled cavetto-moulded edging; shield, garter, supporters and crown of James I of England; a branch sprouting a rose and leaf to the left of the crown, a branch sprouting a thistle and leaf to the right; initials at top, split by crown; date below shield.

    Notes: Similar in style to the 1619 series, this plate has larger rose and thistle plant stamps and was probably designed by the same pattern-maker

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: I R / 16 21

    Arms: English Stuart royal - James I

    Manufactured: in 1621 in England.

    Current location: Newick Park Hotel, Newick, East Sussex, England.

  7. 501

    newick_park_01a.jpg
    >700 x 645 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; ovolo-moulded edging; central crest of a gryphon's head couped, its wings displayed; above, the initials, the 'S' above the 'P's; below, the date.

    Notes: The crest is likely to be that of Peter Short of Lindfield, Sussex, who married Philadelphia Burrell in 1704.

    Inscription: PSP / 1730

    Arms: Short of Lindfield

    Manufactured: in 1730 possibly in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: in private hands, Newick, East Sussex, England.

  8. 504

    northchapel,_brookside house.jpg
    770 x 535 mm

    Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging (top and sides); along upper half of plate, date split with initials in between.

    Notes: The initials are likely to be those of William Yalden (d.1674), an ironmaster who was active in north-west Sussex and south-west Surrey where this and other similar firebacks have been noted.

    Inscription: 16 WY 68

    Manufactured: in 1668 in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: in private hands, Northchapel, West Sussex, England.

  9. 1222

    northiam,_great_dixter_1170x770.jpg
    1170 x 770 mm

    Description: Rectangular shape; no edging; symmetrical arrangement of four stamps: across the top, three crowned roses with a fleur-de-lys between each pair; across the middle, three fleurs-de-lys with a chained portcullis between each pair; below and in the spaces between the fleurs and portcullises, four letters W.

    Notes: The letter W may have an apotropaic significance; the stamps have not been recorded on other firebacks.

    Inscription: W W W W

    Manufactured: in the late-16th century possibly in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Great Dixter, Northiam, East Sussex, England.

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

  10. 1144

    norton,_norton manor a.jpg
    1000 x 670 mm

    Description: Composite; arched rectangular shaped, armorial fireback, cavetto edging, with Stuart Royal arms, garter, supporters, crown and motto, and 1662 date above crown; this overlies a rectangular plate with fillet edging; top centre in the space each side of the central shield, an initial letter - A to left, B to right - each above a fleur-de-lys, its stem terminating in a small buckle.

    Notes: Several firebacks have incorporated the same Stuart royal shield, which probably originally dated to 1619, but with the date altered. A similar fireback, but without the initials and fleurs-de-lys, dated 1661, and reputed to have come from the Totsey, the old guildhall at the market cross in Gloucester, is illustrated in Ames, 1980, 23; possibly the same fireback was reported by the late David Bick to be at The Grange, Minsterworth, Gloucestershire (demolished in the late 1960s).

    Inscription: 16 62 / [Garter motto (illeg.)] / A B

    Arms: English Stuart royal

    Manufactured: in 1662 possibly in the Forest of Dean area of England.

    Current location: in private hands, Norton, Wiltshire, England.

    Citation: Ames, A., 1980, Collecting Cast Iron (Ashbourne, Moorland Publishing).

    Citation: Badeni, J., 22 Sep 1983, 'Whose Fireback?' [letter], Country Life, 174, 4492, p. 772.