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909
Description: Arched rectangular shape; cavetto-moulded edging;lower centre, crowned bust of King William III above a cartouche, possibly orange branches, with leaves and fruit on each side; above, a putto blowing a trumpet; initials on each side of cartouche; date split between bottom corners.
Notes: A finely detailed image of King William III; the significance of initials is not known. It is possible that the bust of the king, the date, initials and the surrounding branches were carved on a separate pattern which was added to an otherwise simple mould comprising an arched rectangular border and the trumpet-blowing putto before casting. Christie's auction, 25 Feb 2014, lot 184 (£6,000).
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: 16 96 / AC AL
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular with round arch (shape)
- cavetto (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- individual letters
- individual numbers
- historical
- royal
- text
- humans
- plants
Manufactured: in 1696 in England.
Current location: not known.
- Attached to series:
- Miscellaneous royal firebacks
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952
Description: Rectangular joined to pediment by symmetrical scrolls; fillet edging with embattling inside; shield, helm, crest, supporters and mantling of the city of Bristol; date split by bottom of shield; inscription in an oval cartouche below shield; rectangular side extensions with twisted rope edging; initial on each extension.
Notes: The mismatched ‘3’ in the date is likely to have replaced a ‘1’ or ‘2’. The pattern-maker was also responsible for carving royal coats of arms in three West Country churches and a small number of series of firebacks in the first quarter of the 17th century.
Inscription: T H / 16 34 / ARMES BRISTOLL
Arms: City of Bristol
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular with detached pediment (shape)
- fillet and rope (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- individual letters
- individual numbers
- planklines
- extension panels
- armorial
- text
Manufactured: in 1634 possibly in the Forest of Dean area of England.
Current location: not known.
- Attached to series:
- Civic firebacks
- Bristol armorial series
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699
Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging on top and sides; cavetto-moulded-edged rectangle top centre, enclosing date between initials; 16 shields of Ayloffe impaling Sulyard in three rows (5-6-5); Ayloffe: sable, a lion rampant Or, collared gules, between three crosses formy of the second; Sulyard: argent, a chevron gules between three pheons inverted sable.
Notes: William Ayloffe (c1535-1584) of Hornchurch, Essex, Justice of the Court of Queen’s Bench, married (c1560) Jane, dau. of Sir Eustace Sulyard, of Runwell, Essex. The initials 'CT' are likely to be those of Charles Tyler, a founder whose working life and that of his family have strong parallels with the occurrence of these firebacks. An identical fireback is in a house at Cowden, Kent, and a broken example is at Wool House, a National Trust property at Loose also in Kent; small variations in the alignment of the shields are apparent.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: C.1.6.0.1.T
Arms: Ayloffe impaling Sulyard (William Ayloffe of Bretons, Hornchurch)
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- carved stamps
- individual letters
- individual numbers
- armorial
- text
Manufactured: in 1601 possibly at Bedgebury Furnace, Goudhurst in the Weald area of England.
Current location: not known.
- Attached to series:
- Ayloffe series
- Personal armorial firebacks
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51
Description: Arched rectangular shaped, topped with a triangle; twisted rope edging (top and sides only); inverted Tudor royal shield and Garter, crown above, greyhound and lion supporters (see example at Alfriston Clergy House). Two horizontal planklines.
Notes: A uniquely shaped fireback, the inverted shield and Garter indicate that they formed a separate stamp from the crown; other firebacks with these stamps have the shield and Garter the correct way round. A frequently copied fireback; a larger version has a bottom extension.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: HONE SOVT QUEY MAL Y PENSE
Arms: Tudor royal (prob.Henry VIII)
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular with round arch and triangle above (shape)
- rope (edging)
- carved stamps
- planklines
- heraldic
- armorial
- royal
Manufactured: in the early- to mid-16th century possibly at Pounsley Furnace, Framfield in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Courtlands, Taunton, Somerset, England.
- Attached to series:
- Pounsley series
- Tudor royal armorial firebacks
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1167
Description: Canted quasi-rectangular shape; no edging; parallel with top edge, initials in triad to left, separated from date by a small, ill-defined flower stamp.
Notes: The serifed character set is boldly impressed, although the S is indistinct, suggesting that some of the moulding sand may have filled the impression before casting. The indentations on each side were cut to accommodate mouldings. Tennants Auctioneers sale, Leyburn, North Yorkshire, 20 March 2015, lot 781.
Inscription: ISM [triad] 1611
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular with canted top corners (shape)
- none (edging)
- individual letters
- individual numbers
- text
- plants
Manufactured: in 1611 in England.
Current location: not known.
- Attached to series:
- Date & initials firebacks
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859
Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging (to and sides); top centre, shield bearing a lion rampant with two heads, between split initials.
Notes: The heraldic charge of a lion rampant with two heads is rare, the only documented family with which it is associated being that of Mason, of Yorkshire, to whom this shield does not seem to apply.
Inscription: TS
Arms: Not known
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- carved stamps
- heraldic
- armorial
- text
Manufactured: in the early-16th century in England.
Current location: not known.
- Attached to series:
- Personal armorial firebacks
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860
Description: Canted rectangle; fillet edging (top and sides); top centre, initials, above date, between repeated fleur-de-lys stamp; from top corners to bottom corners, repeated V-shape pattern formed of stamped short fillets, with an L-shape inserted between the top two Vs on each side.
Notes: The fleurs de lys are of a distinctive style seen on a small group of firebacks.
Inscription: RH / 1662
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular with canted top corners (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- simple stamps
- carved stamps
- individual letters
- individual numbers
- heraldic
- text
- objects
Manufactured: in 1662 in the Forest of Dean area of England.
Current location: not known.
- Attached to series:
- Date & initials firebacks
- Square cross Dean series
- Newent area group
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861
Description: Canted rectangle; twisted rope edging (top and sides); top centre, date.
Inscription: 1697
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular with canted top corners (shape)
- rope (edging)
- carved stamps
- individual numbers
- text
Manufactured: in 1697 in England.
Current location: not known.
- Attached to series:
- Date only firebacks
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1258
Description: Broken and fragmentary; canted quasi-rectangular shape, with sides inclined; twisted rope edging; top centre, date with initials below separated by a fleur-de-lys; seven fleurs-de-lys down each side, pints perpendicular to rope edging; a fleur beneath each initial, possibly other fleurs and another initial missing in between.
Notes: The fleurs-de-lys are of a distinctive form apparently unique to this series of firebacks.
Inscription: 1628 / S G
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular with canted top corners (shape)
- rope (edging)
- simple stamps
- carved stamps
- heraldic
- text
Manufactured: in 1628 in the Forest of Dean area of England.
Current location: 31 Long Street, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England.
- Attached to series:
- 1620s Dean series
- Date & initials firebacks
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1091
Description: Arched rectangular shape; twisted rope edging (top and sides); date in arch; initials in triads in top corners.
Notes: A fireback at Cotehele House in Cornwall, dated 1647 and bearing the initials AA, which may have come from Longden Hall, south-west of Shrewsbury in Shropshire, and was purchased by the National Trust from Longden Parish Council in the early 1970s, is similar in both its shape and style
Inscription: 1655 / RWA [triad] / RWA [triad]
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular with round arch (shape)
- rope (edging)
- individual letters
- individual numbers
- text
Manufactured: in 1655 in England.
Current location: The Freeth, Thornbury, Herefordshire, England.
- Attached to series:
- Date & initials firebacks