Firebacks

Manufactured in England

879 results

  1. 998

    shuffrey_(1912) pl 66 brede place a.jpg
    ? x ? mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; fillet edging with a wider fillet within upon which are regularly-spaced beads each set on disc and joined by a thin line; shield, Garter, helm, mantling, crown and lion crest, with crowned lion and unicorn supporters; metal strapping around main rectangle.

    Notes: A damaged example with unusual supporting bands. Formerly at Brede Place, East Sussex.

    Inscription: HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE

    Arms: English Stuart royal

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

    Current location:, not known.

    Citation: Shuffrey, L. A., 1912, The English Fireplace, London, Batsford.

  2. 1285

    shurlock_row,_great_martins.jpg
    875 x 560 mm

    Description: Rectangular; ovolo-moulded, gadrooned edging (top and sides); lower centre, a vertical spindle between two vertical spindles of a different form each surmounted by a fleur-de-lys; the date split by the top of the middle spindle; the initials above the first two and last two figures of the date.

    Notes: The gadrooned style of edging is a distinctive feature of this group of firebacks, the style of fleur-de-lys being observed on two other backs within the group.

    Inscription: I B / 1 6 5 0

    Manufactured: in 1650 possibly at Cuckfield Furnace in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: in private hands, Waltham St Lawrence, Berkshire, England.

  3. 919

    singleton,_weald and downland open air museum 03.jpg
    826 x 686 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; rope edging (top and sides); undulating floriate design across top of rectangle, below which are alternating roses (4) and ?crowned cross stamps (5); the same cross and rose stamps decorate the arch, three crosses on each side of a rose at the top; at the base of the arch is a row of four stamps formed of a double figure-of-eight joined by opposed concave curves; the same stamps (3), rotated 90 degrees, are arranged in a row down the left side of the plate.

    Notes: Similar undulating floriate designs have been seen on late-medieval and sixteenth century stools, suggesting a possible source. A fireback with the same loop stamps bears the same date using the same numerals but impressed in reverse. Unusually, the decoration down the left side is not repeated down the right side.

    Inscription: 1594

    Manufactured: in 1594 in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Weald and Downland Living Museum, Singleton, West Sussex, England.

    (part of the Weald and Downland Living Museum museum group)

  4. 689

    slaugham,_furnace pond cottage 01.jpg
    615 x 450 mm

    Description: Rectangular with pediment; ovolo moulded edging inside top of pediment and inside top and sides of rectangle; centre top, four-petal rose and crown with three fleurs-de-lys below; at either end, stamps made from two parts of a wreath (the middle section missing); in the pediment a cross.

    Notes: The wreaths from which the stamps have been disassembled can be seen complete on two other firebacks, and the rose and crown is a common stamp on a large series of early firebacks.

    Inscription: I T

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

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

  5. 1094

    smallhythe_place 02.jpg
    1143 x 558 mm

    Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging (top and sides); top centre, crowned Tudor royal shield between a lion passant on the right and a lion passant guardant sinister on the left; in each top corner a crowned four-petal rose, below which, to the right, a left-facing 'imp' with both arms lowered; below the armorial, a crowned shield bearing initials, KH, in Lombardic lettering, above a fleur-de-lys; a much-corroded imp figure may be below the right-hand lion.

    Notes: A heavily corroded variant of a type bearing Henrician heraldic elements.

    Arms: Tudor royal arms of England

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

    Current location: Smallhythe Place, Small Hythe Road, Tenterden, Kent, England.

    Museum number: 1117950 (part of the National Trust museum group)

  6. 690

    smallhythe_place.jpg
    1280 x 470 mm

    Description: Canted rectangle; plain edges; broad horizontal fillet dividing the plate in two just above the side angles, with vertical fillets to top corners enclosing date and initials.

    Notes: Uncharacteristically crude for the period.

    Inscription: IS / 16 60

    Manufactured: in 1660 in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Smallhythe Place, Small Hythe Road, Tenterden, Kent, England.

    Museum number: 1117951 (part of the National Trust museum group)

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

  7. 892

    sothebys_08-11-06 1910mm x 590mm.jpg
    910 x 590 mm

    Description: Canted rectangular shape; plain edging with inset ?leather strap twisted round dowel (top and sides); top centre, date probably in stamped numerals; twisted leather strap saltire repeated three times across middle of plate; pair of stamped initials, formed of a Roman 'W' and a Gothic 'd', above each outer saltire.

    Notes: Sotheby's sale London 27 November 2006, lot 324; formerly at Brunger, Kent (near Tenterden).

    Inscription: 1610 / WD WD

    Manufactured: in 1610 in England.

    Current location: not known.

  8. 1143

    soudley,_dean heritage centre 03a.jpg
    >675 x >915 mm

    Description: Fragment, left side missing; arched rectangular shape; fillet edging (top and sides visible); initials IG widely spaced in arch.

    Notes: Previously at Bream Court Farm, Newland, Gloucestershire.

    Inscription: I G

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

    Current location: Dean Heritage Centre, Camp Mill, Soudley, Gloucestershire, England.

    Citation: Mullin, D., 1989, 'Two Firebacks', The New Regard, Forest of Dean Local History Society, 5, pp. 47-50.

  9. 691

    soudley,_dean_heritage_centre_01b.jpg
    678 x 628 mm

    Description: Arched rectangle; arch with egg and dart, ovolo edging, resting on rectangle shoulders and sides with triple fillet edging, a single fillet edged panel beneath; bottom panel, guilloche pattern of 12; main panel: shield, helm, crest, coronet and mantling of the Wynter/Wintour family of Lydney, Gloucestershire; the initials above the date, both split by the helm and coronet; on either side of the shield, Ionic pilasters; above the rectangle shoulders, a scrolled bracket each side, supporting the arch.

    Notes: Wynter: Sable, a fess ermine, in chief a crescent for difference; crest: out of a ducal coronet, or, a cubit arm in armour erect, proper, garnished of the first, in the gauntlet three ostrich-feathers. The arms are likely to be those of Sir John Wynter, who owned several furnaces in the Forest of Dean. Formerly at Watts House, Bishop's Lydeard, Somerset, and before that at The Priory, Taunton.

    Inscription: I W / 16 30

    Arms: Winter/Wintour of Lydney, Gloucestershire

    Manufactured: in 1630 in the Forest of Dean area of England.

    Current location: Horniman Museum, 100 London Road, Forest Hill, London, England.

    Museum number: 6.249 (part of the Horniman Museum museum group)

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

    Citation: Mullin, D., 1989, 'Two Firebacks', The New Regard, Forest of Dean Local History Society, 5, pp. 47-50.

  10. 903

    speldhurst,_george and dragon a.jpg
    1300 x 690 mm

    Description: Rectangular; ovolo-moulded edging (top and sides); date between split initials across upper half of plate; two notches cut away for insertion of firedogs.

    Notes: The ‘6s’ appear to have been moulded from a type of jemmy.

    Inscription: g 1669 P [reversed]

    Manufactured: in 1669 possibly in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: George & Dragon Inn, Speldhurst Hill, Speldhurst, Kent, England.