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1220
Description: Arched rectangular shaped central panel with hollow bead edging; to the right, a seated male figure beside a wellhead, pointing towards a standing female resting a ewer on the wellhead over which a rope hangs, and behind the male figure is a tree, and above, swagged drapery; arched rectangular shaped border with fillet edging; swirled flowers and tendrils symmetrically arranged, with SHR monogram at centre bottom; two mirrored stylised sea serpents on top; to each side a vertical extension with bead edging, of the same decoration as the side borders.
Notes: The frame of the central panel and the enclosing border are identical to those noted on another fireback displaying a figure of Pluto (see fireback no. 164), while the pictorial scene, of Jesus and the Woman of Samaria (St John 4: 5-28) is more typical of continental firebacks and stoveplates. This may be an example of an image from one casting being superimposed within the frame of an earlier fireback. The central image is sharper than the surrounding border.
Inscription: SHR
- Decoration tags:
- 'Dutch' (shape)
- bead (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- extension panels
- pictorial
- biblical
- monogram
- text
Manufactured: in the late-17th to early-18th century in England.
Current location: not known.
- Attached to series:
- British 'Dutch' style firebacks
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1017
Description: Arched rectangular central panel with fillet edging; central seated female with an infant in her arms, a swan at her feet and a standing child on each side, the one to her left facing the front and holding aloft a flaming heart, its foot on a ball; the child to her right facing the woman, holding aloft a branch in its left hand, all on a ground with an overhanging tree to the right; arched rectangular border with fillet edging with descending festoons of acanthus flowers on each side, the date and initials at the bottom and, at the top on each side, a pair of acanthus flowers descending from a heart-shaped terminal of a strapwork frame; above, mirrored swirls of foliage.
Notes: The central pictorial scene is a crude pastiche of a panel portraying an allegory of Charity frequently used on firebacks produced in the Siegerland of north-west Germany for the Dutch market in the second half of the seventeenth century. The swirled foliage on the top is typical of English 'Dutch' style firebacks of the early-eighteenth century and the numerals are also more typically English in style.
Inscription: 17 . IAK[?] 31
- Decoration tags:
- 'Dutch' (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- individual letters
- individual numbers
- allegorical
- text
- humans
- plants
Manufactured: in 1731 in England.
Current location: not known.
- Attached to series:
- Charity firebacks
- British 'Dutch' style firebacks
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164
Description: Arched rectangular shaped central panel with hollow bead edging; draped male figure standing on undulating ground with two small trees, holding a bar, flaming furnaces behind, drapery suspended from above; Arched rectangular shaped border with fillet edging; swirled flowers and tendrils symmetrically arranged, with monogram at centre bottom; symmetrical arrangement of foliage on top.
Notes: The figure is of Pluto, one of a set of 'Eight Deities' engraved by Hendrick Goltzius (1592), after Polidoro da Caravaggio; a recasting, there is a larger (420mm x 640mm) but more corroded version in Hastings Museum. The faint initials SHR are probably those of the pattern-maker. The image is of a copy; original castings are fractionally larger.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: SHR
- Decoration tags:
- 'Dutch' (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- mythological
- monogram
- humans
Manufactured: in the late-17th to early-18th century in England.
Current location: not known.
- Attached to series:
- SHR series
- British 'Dutch' style firebacks
- Eight Deities series
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1059
Description: Arched rectangular central panel with bead on broad fillet edging; pictorial scene of a figure in a chariot on left, drawn across clouds by two peacocks; above, a putto and a bird flying in clouds; to the right, a tree; arched rectangular border with fillet edging; symmetrical undulating oak fronds descending from a loop; at the bottom, the letter W in a cartouche between swirled foliage; on top, mirrored swirled foliage descending from a loop.
Notes: The figure is likely to be that of Hera/Juno, who is traditionally associated with peacocks. The initial 'W' probably identifies the pattern maker; a single vertical line right of centre indicates the join between two boards that formed the pattern. The 'W' initial probably denotes the pattern maker.
Inscription: W
- Decoration tags:
- 'Dutch' (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- planklines
- pictorial
- allegorical
- text
- 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
- W series
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1264
Description: Arched rectangular central panel with bead edging (top and sides) enclosing a shield, helm, crest, mantling and motto of the Fitch family, descendants of Edwin Frederick Fitch (1839-1916); above the achievement, symmetrical laurel leaves, all within an arched rectangular astragal border surmounted by, on the dexter side, a behelmeted merman holding a scimitar and, on the sinister side, a mermaid holding a mirror; top centre, three ostrich feathers gathered with a ribbon.
Notes: A pastiche of the 17th century Carolean 'Dutch' series (e.g. no. 280). Blazon: Vert, on a chevron between three leopards' faces or langued gules, as many cross crosslets fitchee of the last, in the chief point an ermine spot of the second; Crest: Upon a wreath of the colours, a leopard's face erminois pierced through the mouth with a sword broken in the middle argent, pommel and hilt or.
Inscription: FACTA NON VERBA [Actions not words]
Arms: Fitch
Manufactured: in the early- to mid-20th century in England.
Current location: not known.
- Attached to series:
- Personal armorial firebacks
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725
Description: Canted rectangle with twisted rope edging; uneven, individually stamped letters and numerals, the initials separating the two parts of the date, which are raised slightly higher; dots are stamped on each side of each half of the date and between the initials; a twisted rope saltire at each end of the inscription.
Notes: The plate above the inscription is a repair, as are the rivets either side of the crack.
Inscription: ·16· M · N ·59·
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular with canted top corners (shape)
- rope (edging)
- simple stamps
- carved stamps
- individual letters
- individual numbers
- apotropaic
- text
- objects
Manufactured: in 1659 in the Weald area of England.
Current location: in private hands, Upper Beeding, West Sussex, England.
- Attached to series:
- Date & initials firebacks
- Rope design firebacks
- Shortened '5' series
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906
Description: Rectangular; cyma recta moulded edging in short lengths (top and sides, with gap at bottom of each side); top centre, rose and crown between four small fleurs-de-lys (2 over 2); date split in top corners, with concentric roundel inside, next to upper fleurs; below date, concentric roundel, with small rose inside, next to lower fleurs; the whole arrangement symmetrical.
Notes: The only example of this series with no initials; one vertical plankline. The style of rose and crown is similar to that used in gun founding in the Tudor period, suggesting that the furnace that was the source of this fireback may have been used for that purpose.
Inscription: 16 85
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- complex, furniture-derived (edging)
- simple stamps
- carved stamps
- individual numbers
- planklines
- heraldic
- royal
- text
- objects
Manufactured: in 1685 in the Weald area of England.
Current location: in private hands, Upper Beeding, West Sussex, England.
- Attached to series:
- 1660s-90s Wealden series
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727
Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging (top and sides); canted rope lengths across top corners; three impressions of a rondel dagger (c. 410mm) with a baluster-turned grip, the middle one per fess, pommel in chief, the other two on either side, per bend, points in chief.
Notes: The arrangement of daggers is similar to the arms of Vigures, of Launceston, Cornwall, but inverted; the plate has been pierced on each side for fixing to the back of the fireplace; the dagger (length approx. 41cm) may be of German design.
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- simple stamps
- objects
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: 896.1901 (part of the Victoria & Albert Museum museum group)
- Attached to series:
- Knife & Dagger stamp firebacks
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728
Description: Quasi-rectangular; twisted rope edging (top and sides); across the centre, three crosses formed of the repeated stamping of a length of twisted rope.
Notes: The edging appears to have been formed of the same length of rope. The crosses almost certainly have Christian significance.
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- simple stamps
- apotropaic
- objects
Manufactured: in the 16th century possibly in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, Kensington & Chelsea, Greater London, England.
Museum number: 887.1901 (part of the Victoria & Albert Museum museum group)
- Attached to series:
- Rope design firebacks
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732
Description: Rectangular; cavetto edging all round; seated lion on right, its tail rising above its back and its head turned to face the viewer; a seated sheep on the left.
Notes: Intended to represent the saying, ‘The lion shall lie down with the lamb’, a popular misquotation of Isaiah 11: 6. Some variants are dated 1679 (see no. 481).
Copies of this fireback are known.
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- cavetto (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- pictorial
- biblical
- animals
Manufactured: in the mid- to late-17th century in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, Kensington & Chelsea, Greater London, England.
Museum number: 894.1901 (part of the Victoria & Albert Museum museum group)
- Attached to series:
- Small cavetto series
- Old Testament & Apocrypha firebacks