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719
Description: Arched rectangular central panel; bead-and-pellet edging; pictorial scene of a male figure seated in a chariot, his left arm resting on the side of the chariot, his right hand holding a sceptre at arm’s length, the chariot drawn by two lions across a ground with small bushes; clouds above with the personification of the wind blowing to the left; arched rectangular border with fillet edging; repeated, linked scroll-work on all sides; on top a vase of fruit between two mirrored serpents; on each side, rectangular extension panel with a curved top copying the side borders.
Notes: A variant has no extension panels; similar to other designs incorporating figures in chariots, though not from the same series.
- Decoration tags:
- 'Dutch' (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- extension panels
- pictorial
- allegorical
- humans
Manufactured: in the early-18th century in England.
Current location: not known.
- Attached to series:
- British 'Dutch' style firebacks
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818
Description: Quasi-arched rectangular shape; on a ground, an armorial achievement comprising a central cartouche on which is an oval shield bearing the arms of the Cavendish family, with graduated bead edging; supporters, two stags rampant; above the cartouche, on a wreath a coiled snake crest surmounted by an earl’s coronet; the date split either side of the crest; to each side, a column with foliate capital supporting a three-sided arch with ovolo-moulded edging, on each shoulder of which is a flaming orb.
Notes: The arms are those of the Earls of Devonshire. However, the date relates to William Cavendish (1640-1707), previously 4th Earl and created 1st Duke of Devonshire in 1694. An earlier casting (no. 246) has a date of 1657, the second pair of numerals having been changed. Christie's auction 3 Dec 2014 lot 15 (dated incorrectly as 1693) (£1,875).
Inscription: 1695
Arms: William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Devonshire, as 4th Earl of Devonshire
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular with three-facetted arch (shape)
- complex individual (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- individual numbers
- armorial
- text
Manufactured: in 1695 in England.
Current location:, not known.
- Attached to series:
- Personal armorial firebacks
- Cavendish arms series
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819
Description: Arched rectangular shape; cavetto moulding (top and sides); date in top corners; shield, supporters, coronet and motto of the Barony of Bergavenny.
Notes: The arms are those of William Nevill, 16th Baron Bergavenny, of Kidbrooke Park, Forest Row, Sussex; the arms have been modified by the omission of the motto below the compartment.
Inscription: 17 37
Arms: William Nevill, 16th Baron Bergavenny
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular with round arch (shape)
- cavetto (edging)
- carved stamps
- individual numbers
- armorial
- text
Manufactured: in 1737 in the Weald area of England.
Current location: in private hands, Greenham, Somerset, England.
- Attached to series:
- Bergavenny firebacks
- Personal armorial firebacks
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835
Description: Rectangular central panel with fillet edging; poorly modelled standing figure possibly of Diana, goddess of hunting, holding a bow in her left hand and an arrow in her right hand, on a low plinth; border with fillet edging along sides and bottom, with mirrored vine tendril and leaves on each side; date split either side of leaves at bottom; on top, symmetrical swirled foliate arrangement.
Notes: A characteristic small fireback from the period of the changeover to coal-fired domestic heating.
Inscription: 17 33
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular with ornate arch (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- pictorial
- mythological
- text
- humans
- plants
Manufactured: in 1733 in England.
Current location:, not known.
- Attached to series:
- Late pictorial series (all)
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847
Description: Originally rectangular; two identical panels, each with braid edging, a vine standard with six bunches of grapes and a cluster at the top.
Notes: One of an unusual series formed from separate panels arranged, in this instance, with repeated panel; fire-damaged, hence the distorted shape. Recovered after the fire at Nymans, Handcross, Sussex in 1947.
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- simulated rope (edging)
- carved pattern panels
- plants
Manufactured: in the late-16th century in the Weald area of England.
Current location: not known.
- Attached to series:
- Armada series
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848
Description: Arched rectangular shape with rounded corners; ovolo within fillet moulding all round; oval Tudor royal shield with garter surrounding, topped with a royal crown; dragon and greyhound supporters; initials split by crown; inscription on a fillet between legs of supporters, behind garter finial; motto on an Ionic plinth at bottom; two rectangular side panels, each with a bird stamp (probably a swan, a Lancastrian badge) above a vine strip stamp repeated three times vertically.
Notes: One of two known variants of the John Harvo fireback incorporating extension panels with vine strips and 'swans'; the positions of the swans vary slightly between the two variants.
Inscription: E R / HONY SOIT QUE MAL Y PAYNCE
Arms: Tudor royal - prob. Edward VI
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular with round arch (shape)
- carved pattern panels
- whole carved pattern
- extension panels
- armorial
- royal
- animals
- objects
Manufactured: in the mid- to late-16th century possibly at Pounsley Furnace, Framfield in the Weald area of England.
Current location: not known.
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901
Description: Quasi-Arched rectangular shape with cyma reversa shoulders; ovolo edging; stylised lion passant guardant; crowned rose with leaf and stem on left, crowned fleur de lys on right, thistle with leaves above centre; three right-facing scrolls at base; down-facing scroll, with staple, on right side; date split between bottom corners; initials below date, bottom right.
Notes: Blatantly Royalist in its symbolism, a variant (no. 763) is dated (perhaps less convincingly) 1649. Numeral style, initials, leaf depiction and the stapled scroll are typical features of firebacks made from patterns by the same maker. A later version of the same subject, but with a different shaped plate and without the fleur-de-lys, is also known (see 'Royalist series'). M. A. Lower writes of this design of fireback being cast at Waldron Furnace in Sussex (Lower, 1849, p.219).
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: 16 41 / IM
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular with round arch (shape)
- ovolo (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- heraldic
- royal
- text
- animals
Manufactured: in 1641 possibly at Brede Furnace in the Weald area of England.
Current location: in private hands, Wandsworth, London, England.
- Attached to series:
- IM series
- Hooked '1' series
- Stapled scroll series
- Brede group
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63
Description: 'Dutch' style; arched rectangular central panel, bead edging, a partially clothed female figure holding a wreath in her left hand and a bunch of flowers in her right hand, a circlet of cloth hanging from her right shoulder; arched rectangular shaped border with fillet edging and floral swags suspended; on top, flowers and swirled foliage.
Notes: The figure is an allegorical representation of Agriculture, one of the Iconologia originally published by Cesare Ripa in 1613. A damaged recasting is in Farnham Museum. The 'W' initial probably denotes the pattern maker.
Inscription: W
- Decoration tags:
- 'Dutch' (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- pictorial
- allegorical
- humans
- plants
- objects
Manufactured: in the late-17th to early-18th century in England.
Current location: not known.
- Attached to series:
- British 'Dutch' style firebacks
- Agriculture firebacks
- W series
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865
Description: Arched rectangle; twisted rope edging (top and sides); central date at bottom of arch.
Inscription: 1670
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular with round arch (shape)
- rope (edging)
- individual numbers
- text
Manufactured: in 1670 in England.
Current location:, not known.
- Attached to series:
- Date only firebacks
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877
Description: Low arched rectangle; astragal and stepped fillet edging; slanted shield, helm and mantling; crest missing; at bottom, date split either side of shield.
Notes: The arms are of the Pollen family of Redenham, Hampshire; blazon: azure, on a bend cotised or between six lozenges argent each charged with an escallop sable, five escallops vert.
Inscription: 19 27
Arms: Pollen of Andover, Hampshire
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular with round arch (shape)
- astragal and stepped fillet (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- armorial
Manufactured: in 1927 in England.
Current location:, not known.
- Attached to series:
- Personal armorial firebacks