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742
Description: Rectangular with canted top corners; twisted rope edging all round except base: plain plate with two stamps of an iron firedog with twisted neck and shield bearing letters HN and crossed staples; firedogs have columnar capitals; fleur de lys stamp repeated six times, singly at each end, in star pattern in middle; stamps have twisted wreaths.
Notes: The initials HN probably refer to Henry Nevill, the crossed staples being a badge of the Nevill family. Henry Nevill occupied Mayfield furnace from about 1585 until 1599. One of two variants with the same firedogs and fleurs-de-lys; other firedogs in a very similar style are known.
Inscription: HN HN
- Decoration tags:
- canted rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- simple stamps
- carved stamps
- heraldic
- text
- objects
Manufactured: in the late 16th century possibly at Mayfield Furnace in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, Kensington & Chelsea, Greater London, England.
Museum number: 11.1900 (part of the Victoria & Albert Museum museum group)
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743
Description: Arched rectangular shape; ovolo moulded edging; Tudor royal shield, garter, crown, motto and supporters (crowned lion and dragon), temp. Elizabeth I; the top of the lion's crown and the dragon's ear overlap the edging.
Notes: Another version has a rose and portcullis either side of the crown, and the top of the lion's crown and the dragon's ear do not overlap the edging; a faint blank rectangular stamp on each side of the crown may have been to hide initials, which have been noted on a variant of this fireback.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: [Garter] HONI SOIT QVI MAL E PENSE / [motto] DIEV ET MON DROIT
Arms: Tudor royal
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- ovolo (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- planklines
- armorial
- royal
- text
Manufactured: in the mid to late 16th century possibly in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, Kensington & Chelsea, Greater London, England.
Museum number: 794.1896 (part of the Victoria & Albert Museum museum group)
- Attached to series:
- Tudor royal armorial firebacks
- Tudor royal armorial (plain) series
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744
Description: Arched rectangular shape; twisted rope edging (top and sides only); three water bougets (leather water containers) at top; knotted cord and tassel decoration on each side; centred inscription on six lines with ‘S’ reversed, bar across top of ‘A’ and letters individually placed and separated by double fleurs-de-lys].
Notes: The approximately mirrored cord decoration appears to have been affixed to shaped boards. The Wealden origin of this fireback suggests possible connections with the Roos, or de Ros, family, who owned property in Easebourne, or the Meeres family of Glynleigh, near Hailsham, the arms of both families incorporating water bougets. A connection, proposed by the Victoria and Albert Museum, with the Helmsley family of Yorkshire is improbable. One of a series of distinctive firebacks cast in 1582, most with inscriptions relating to pairs of individuals; the initials IA may be of the founder as they appear in the same arrangement on other firebacks.
Inscription: THES:IS:FOR / WILAM:BRON / AND:ELISAB: / TH:HIS:SISTR / 15 82 / I A
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- simple stamps
- carved stamps
- individual letters
- individual numbers
- heraldic
- text
- objects
Manufactured: in 1582 possibly at Pounsley Furnace, Framfield in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, Kensington & Chelsea, Greater London, England.
Museum number: M.977-1926 (part of the Victoria & Albert Museum museum group)
- Attached to series:
- Pounsley series
- 1582 IA series
- Fleur rope terminal series
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746
Description: Fragment (top part only); arched; cavetto-moulded edging; shield, helm, crown and supporters royal house of Scotland.
Notes: The arms probably pre-date the union of the kingdoms of Scotland and England in 1603. The arched shape and style of execution suggest a possible continental origin for the design.
Inscription: IN DEFENS
Arms: Scotland royal pre 1603
- Decoration tags:
- arched (shape)
- cavetto (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- armorial
- text
Manufactured: in the late 16th century in England.
Current location: Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, Kensington & Chelsea, Greater London, England.
Museum number: 891.1901 (part of the Victoria & Albert Museum museum group)
- Attached to series:
- Miscellaneous royal firebacks
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748
Description: Fragment; right part only; canted rectangle; twisted rope edging; lion passant positioned vertically along right side; rose and crown stamp repeated twice (both over-pressed), each above an ‘imp’ figure with both arms lowered.
Notes: A particularly clear casting; the right rear leg of the lion (missing on some variants of this series) has been replaced by a short length of twisted rope.
- Decoration tags:
- canted rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- carved stamps
- heraldic
- animals
Manufactured: in the mid 16th century in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, Kensington & Chelsea, Greater London, England.
Museum number: 897.1901 (part of the Victoria & Albert Museum museum group)
- Attached to series:
- Royal series
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749
Description: Flattened arched rectangular shape; cavetto moulded edge all round; Stuart royal arms with lion and unicorn supporters, crown, garter and motto; CR initials placed separately outside supporters; date split either side of crown.
Notes: A commonly copied variant has the intials, IT, at the top; one vertical plank-line on right side.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: 1635 / C R / HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE / DIEV ET MON DROIT
Arms: English Stuart royal - Charles I
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- cavetto (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- planklines
- armorial
- royal
- text
Manufactured: in 1635 possibly in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, Kensington & Chelsea, Greater London, England.
Museum number: 795.1896 (part of the Victoria & Albert Museum museum group)
Citation: Anon., 2 Dec 1905, 'Old Kent and Sussex Fire-backs', Country Life, pp. 767-768.
- Attached to series:
- Stuart royal armorial firebacks
- Carolean royal armorial firebacks
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750
Description: Arched rectangular shape; cavetto edging; crowned rose with symmetrical leaves; date split across top; initials split across bottom.
Notes: The hooked ‘1’ and ‘IM’ suggests a common pattern-maker with other firebacks bearing those features.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: 16 50 / I M
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- cavetto (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- planklines
- heraldic
- royal
- text
Manufactured: in 1650 possibly at Brede Furnace in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, Kensington & Chelsea, Greater London, England.
Museum number: M.113-1953 (part of the Victoria & Albert Museum museum group)
- Attached to series:
- IM series
- Small cavetto series
- Hooked '1' series
- Brede group
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751
Description: Rectangular, cavetto moulded edging; Stuart royal shield, garter, supporters and crown.
Notes: One clear vertical plank line indicate that the pattern for this fireback was formed of a series of boards probably secured by horizontal battens on the rear.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE
Arms: English Stuart royal
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- cavetto (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- planklines
- armorial
- royal
- text
Manufactured: in the mid to late 17th century in England.
Current location: Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, Kensington & Chelsea, Greater London, England.
Museum number: 432.1896 (part of the Victoria & Albert Museum museum group)
- Attached to series:
- Stuart royal armorial firebacks
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752
Description: Rectangular; cavetto moulded edging on top and sides, with astragal and fillet inside; talbot crest within wreath and eight-pointed star, repeated at top corners; date top centre between mouldings.
Notes: The crest is probably that of the Parker family, of Ratton, near Eastbourne, Sussex. The base board appears to have been repositioned prior to the wreath stamps being impressed in the mould. Acquired from Marle Green Farm, Hellingly, Sussex, in 1896.
Inscription: 1584
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- carved stamps
- individual numbers
- heraldic
- text
- animals
- objects
Manufactured: in 1584 in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, Kensington & Chelsea, Greater London, England.
Museum number: 780.1896 (part of the Victoria & Albert Museum museum group)
- Attached to series:
- Royal series
- Royal (wreath) series
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755
Description: Arched rectangular central panel with bead-and-pellet edging; on a ground between two plants, a fluted flower vase with two, scrolled handles, tulips and other flowers issuing from the narrow neck; arched rectangular border with fillet edging; mirrored descending flower swags; along a rectangular bottom panel with fillet edging a symmetrical arrangement of swirled foliage; narrow, curved shouldered side panels with beads in oval depressions; on top, two mirrored sea serpents.
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; this is the smaller of two versions of this fireback.
Copies of this fireback are known.
- Decoration tags:
- 'Dutch' (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- extension panels
- pictorial
- plants
- objects
Manufactured: in the late 17th century in England.
Current location: Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, Kensington & Chelsea, Greater London, England.
Museum number: 41.1896 (part of the Victoria & Albert Museum museum group)
- Attached to series:
- British 'Dutch' style firebacks
- Flower Vase 'Dutch' types