Firebacks

Manufactured in England

880 results

  1. 839

    ripley_066.jpg
    >845 x 680 mm

    Description: Fragment (left quarter missing - symmetrical design assumed); rectangular; twisted rope edging (top and sides); top centre, crowned Tudor shield between two lions passant, the left lion guardant sinister; below each lion, two leftward heading ‘imp’ stamps, the left one of each with arms down and head facing right, the right with right arm raised; in the top corner(s), a crowned rose stamp with a ‘daisy’ stamp towards the middle.

    Notes: Assuming the crowned shield is central, the fireback would have originally measured 1160mm wide; one of the ‘Royal’ series.

    Arms: Tudor royal arms of England

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

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

  2. 1065

    ripley_067.jpg
    510 x 680 mm

    Description: Rectangular; no edging; rough background with 'incised' inscription across top in archaic lettering; central crowned male figure, in Saxon costume, standing astride and facing right, holding a battleaxe to his right in both hands; behind him to the right, a figure wearing a Norman-style helmet with nasal guard, advancing, with a shield, and a sword in his right hand; behind the central figure and to his right, a fallen figure with a circular shield covering him; below, the face of another fallen figure, also wearing a Norman helmet.

    Notes: A dramatic pictorial fireback commemorating the Battle of Hastings. The pattern may have been made of a sculpted medium, such as clay.

    Inscription: HAROLD REX

    Manufactured: in the 20th century in England.

    Current location: Mark Ripley Forge & Fireplaces, Northbridge Street, Robertsbridge, Salehurst, East Sussex, England.

  3. 1166

    ripley_069.jpg
    1065 x 610 mm

    Description: Rectangular shape; wide fillet and ogee-moulded edging; approximately top centre, initials RH, with date 1701 centred below.

    Notes: A heavy casting, approx. 3cm thick; the character set for the initials and date lacks uniformity, some carved crudely, others more carefully; three horizontal planklines. The lettering differs from another fireback (see no. 1282), with the same initials and date, by the position and shape of the letter 'R'. Formerly in a house at Netherfield, East Sussex. The former location in the Netherfield area of these two firebacks suggests a possible association with Richard Hay, owner of land in that area at that time and ironmaster at Beech Furnace nearby.

    Inscription: RH / 1701

    Manufactured: in 1701 possibly at Beech Furnace, Battle in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Ripley Forge & Fireplaces, Northbridge Street, Salehurst, East Sussex, England.

  4. 1265

    ripley_070.jpg
    660 x 520 mm

    Description: Canted rectangular shape; ?fillet edging; eight fleurs-de-lys (4 and 4) equally spaced and divided by vertical and horizontal fillets, the middle vertical over-stamped at the top with the numerals.

    Notes: Only poor quality castings have been noted of this design, with different dates.

    Inscription: 16[?]1

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

    Current location: Ripley Forge and Fireplaces, North Street, Robertsbridge, Salehurst, East Sussex, England.

  5. 1283

    ripley_071.jpg
    1060 x 660 mm

    Description: Rectangular shape; ogee-moulded edging; upper centred, small fleur-de-lys stamp impressed three times, the rightmost slightly higher than the other two.

    Notes: A simple fireback of somewhat indeterminate date.

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

    Current location: Ripley Forge & Fireplaces, Northbridge Street, Robertsbridge, Salehurst, East Sussex, England.

  6. 644

    rochester_01.jpg
    870 x 580 mm

    Description: Formerly arched rectangular, arch now missing; cavetto-moulded edging, invected on the inner edge; English royal Stuart shield, garter, crown (mainly missing), supporters and motto; date split either side of crown; monogram to right of unicorn supporter.

    Notes: The monogram probably identifies the pattern-maker, whose invected edging seems to be a distinctive style. From another fireback of the same design (no. 1018), complete with the arch, the height is approx 710mm.

    Inscription: 1638 / HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE / RN / DIEV ET MON DROIT

    Arms: English Stuart royal

    Manufactured: in 1638 in England.

    Current location: Six Poor Travellers House, High Street, Rochester, Kent, England.

    Museum number: A4328 (part of the Rochester Guildhall Museum museum group)

  7. 646

    rochester_03.jpg
    450 x 560 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; fillet edging; bell-flower column repeated on each side; at bottom, central rectangular panel, fillet edged, enclosing outstretched wings; above, intertwined leaves in figure-of-eight, enclosing a crown at the top.

    Notes: This fireback incorporates features of the ‘Dutch’ style but within an English form.

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

    Current location: Eastgate House, High Street, Rochester, Kent, England.

    Museum number: A3484 (part of the Rochester Guildhall Museum museum group)

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

  8. 647

    rochester_04.jpg
    390 x 630 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular central panel with hollow bead-on-fillet edging; pictorial scene of a female figure standing on a scallop shell on a ground, holding wind-blown drapery aloft; arched rectangular border with fillet edging; top centre, a scallop shell with descending tendrils and alternating flowers and scallop shells, and swirled leaves at the bottom; on top, mirrored serpents.

    Notes: The allegorical figure of Fortune; similar in many respects to other ‘Dutch’ style firebacks of the period. The theft in 1699 from a Thames-side warehouse of several firebacks, including '5 iron Chimney-Backs cast in the figure of Fortune standing naked on a Conchus in the Sea' may refer to this type (Post Boy 11-14 Nov. 1699).

    Copies of this fireback are known.

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

    Current location: Eastgate House, High Street, Rochester, Kent, England.

    Museum number: A3490 (part of the Rochester Guildhall Museum museum group)

  9. 653

    rochester_10.jpg
    615 x 563 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; cavetto-moulded edging; central, two handled, fluted vase with swirled, fruited vines issuing from the neck, and a bird on each side perched within the vines; out of the neck, a naïve human figure with arms outstretched, grasping vines on each side.

    Notes: The figure emerging from the vase has a symbolism which has yet to be explained.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Manufactured: in the mid- to late-17th century in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Eastgate House, High Street, Rochester, Kent, England.

    Museum number: A3496 (part of the Rochester Guildhall Museum museum group)

  10. 654

    rochester_11.jpg
    460 x 705 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular central panel with bead-and-pellet edging; S-scroll, two-handled, gadrooned vase with tulip stems, flowers and leaves; arched rectangular border with fillet edging and suspended flower bunches; along a rectangular bottom panel with fillet edging a symmetrical arrangement of swirled foliage; on top, two symmetrical, coiled serpents; narrow, curved shouldered side panels with beads in oval depressions.

    Notes: The presence of tulips suggest a Dutch origin for the pattern of this fireback, although the presence of several examples in England suggest that it was produced here rather than on the Continent.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Manufactured: in the mid-17th century in England.

    Current location: Eastgate House, High Street, Rochester, Kent, England.

    Museum number: A3507 (part of the Rochester Guildhall Museum museum group)