Firebacks

Description: Arched shape; patterned astragal edging; central shield with helm, crest and mantling above, and motto scroll below; initials either side of crest; date split by shield.

Notes: The arms are those of Chamberlayne: gules, an inescutcheon within an orle of mullets argent; the crest: out of a ducal coronet the head of an ass (the tinctures vary according to the branch of the family); the initials are reputed to be those of Thomas Chamberlayne; the date appears to have been hand inscribed. The style of the carving is the same as on two other firebacks in the same county.

Inscription: T C / 16 18 / [motto unreadable]

Arms: Chamberlayne

Description: Rectangular, with arch at the top. Above and below acanthus vines. In the middle a landscape with trees and two seated figures; on the left Mercury, playing a flute, a staff over his right shoulder, and at his feet a caduceus; to the right a seated male figure with his left hand supporting his head, in his right hand a stick with which he is supporting himself, behind him a cow, at his feet a dog.

Notes: A scene from classical mythology.

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 swags; on top, stylised fish with floral accessories; at bottom, two looped 'W' figures between split date in bottom corners. A faint plankline, slightly inclined from the vertical and more evident on a later casting, can be seen slightly left of centre.

Notes: The second smallest of six flower vase designs in this series. All incorporate the looped 'W' motif which may be intended to identify the pattern maker. A clear vertical plankline left of centre.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: 17 24

Description: Arched rectangular shape: ovolo-moulded edging; pictorial scene of St George in armour, mounted on a horse, spearing a dragon which lies beneath the horse; in each top corner, a rose.

Notes: A portrayal of St George and the Dragon in bold relief that owes something to the famous modelling by Benedetto Pistrucci of 1817; however, the figure of St George is disproportionately large in relation to the horse.

Description: Rectangular with a sinuous arch and three simulated loops, one top centre, the other two to each side; two-handled flower vase with gadrooned upper surface and acanthus bas-relief below, trailing fruited vines issuing from top descending through handles to base; lion’s mask at top; date split either side of vase base; ball on each shoulder of the plate; broadened side edges.

Notes: The simulated loops are seen on a small number of other firebacks, suggesting a common pattern-maker; a variation on a design typical of this period.

Inscription: 16 77

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.

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.

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

Description: Canted rectangle; hatched fillet edging (top and sides); initials in triad to the left; fleur-de-lys stamp repeated seven times across top; date and initial pairs below; full width, horizontal hatched fillet below inscription; zig-zag formed of short, hatched fillets down each side below horizontal fillet; space within bordered by squared cross stamp repeated 12 times horizontally and six times on each side.

Notes: The distinctive squared cross and fleur stamps are seen on other firebacks; the initials in triad may relate to a husband and wife, the pairs of initials to their children; an almost identical fireback seen at Coombes in West Sussex (no. 1023) differs only in the alignment of the left-hand column of squared crosses. Unearthed close to the site of Elmbridge Furnace, at Newent, Gloucestershire.

Inscription: AHE [triad] 1671 WH MH

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.