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300
Description: Arched rectangular shaped central panel with bead-and-pellet edging on a broad fillet; Jupiter in his chariot drawn by eagles; above are clouds, below is a landscape; arched rectangular shaped border with fillet edging, with a symmetrical scrolled wire design; the monogram, SHR, bottom centre; above is a symmetrical design of scrolled floral tendrils.
Notes: The design is derived from a personification of the planet, Jupiter, in 'Planetarum effectus et eorum in signis zodiaci', by Marten de Vos (1585).
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: SHR
- Decoration tags:
- 'Dutch' (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- pictorial
- mythological
- monogram
- animals
- humans
- objects
Manufactured: in the late-17th to early-18th century in England.
Current location: Powis Castle, Welshpool, Powys, Wales.
Museum number: 1180886 (part of the National Trust museum group)
Citation: Dawson, C., 1903, 'Sussex Iron Work and Pottery', Sussex Archaeological Collections, 46, pp. 1-54.
Citation: Gardner, J. S., 1898, 'Iron Casting in the Weald', Archaeologia, 56, 1, pp. 133-164.
- Attached to series:
- SHR series
- British 'Dutch' style firebacks
- De Vos Planets series
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1041
Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging (top and upper three-quarters of sides); central Tudor shield, garter, crown and supporters (greyhound and lion), formed from separate stamps; date on a single stamp in top left corner.
Notes: This is an early example of a fireback being used as a pattern, with the addition of a subsequent date. The same stamps forming the arms can also be seen on other firebacks. The extension of the lower part of the ‘3’ on the date stamp suggests that the numbers may have been fixed to the backing block, rather than the date being carved as a whole. Another variant of this fireback has the rope edging extending further down the sides.
Inscription: 1583 / HONE SOVT qVEY MAL Y PENSE
Arms: Tudor royal (prob. Henry VIII)
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- carved stamps
- date stamp
- armorial
- royal
- text
Manufactured: in 1583 in the Weald area of England.
Current location: in private hands, West Hoathly, West Sussex, England.
- Attached to series:
- Pounsley series
- Tudor royal armorial firebacks
- Tudor redated series
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1042
Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging (top and sides); top centre, twisted rope saltire between two food moulds used as stamps, comprising two concentric discs with a hatched design and enclosing four hearts arranged in a cross; below the saltire another food mould stamp; in the top corners, a twisted rope saltire with a double V design below each, the open ends facing inwards; below each of the upper pair of food mould stamps, an inverted twisted rope V.
Notes: The food mould stamps can be seen on another fireback dated to 1562; the rope Vs and saltires have an apotropaic, or evil averting, purpose.
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- simple stamps
- carved stamps
- apotropaic
- objects
Manufactured: in the mid-16th century in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Manor House, North Lane, West Hoathly, West Sussex, England.
Citation: Hughes, G. B., May 1940, 'Old English Firebacks', Apollo, 31, 185, pp. 117-120.
- Attached to series:
- Food mould stamp firebacks
- Heart cross stamp series
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1043
Description: Rectangular; triple-fillet moulded edging formed of lengths of carved wood (top and upper seven-eights of sides only); stamp formed of an elliptical shield enclosed within an elliptical border of 23 beads, all mounted on a rectangular block, repeated eight times symmetrically 3-2-3.
Notes: This is a rare example of elliptical arms on a fireback; in each instance the stamp has been over-pressed so that the block on which it was carved has appeared in relief.
Arms: not known
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- triple-fillet moulding (edging)
- simple stamps
- carved stamps
- heraldic
- armorial
Manufactured: in the 17th century in England.
Current location: in private hands, West Hoathly, West Sussex, England.
- Attached to series:
- Personal armorial firebacks
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1052
Description: Rectangular; rope edging on top and sides; central inscription panel; repeated trailing vine decoration from impressed wooden strips — one horizontal line at top, one vertical strip at each side.
Notes: The inscription panel is identical to that on the memorial plate to Anne Forster in Crowhurst church, Surrey; at least ten other firebacks are known with the same inscription panel. Formerly at Stonelands, West Hoathly.
Inscription: HER : LIETH : ANE : FORST/ R : DAVGHTER : AND : / HEYR : TO : THOMAS : / GAYNSFORD : ESQVIER / DECEASED : XVIII : OF: / IANVARI : 1591 : LEAVYNG / BEHIND : HER II : SONES : / AND : V : DAVGHTERS
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- simple stamps
- carved pattern panels
- text
- plants
Manufactured: in the late-16th century possibly at Pounsley Furnace, Framfield in the Weald area of England.
Current location: The Old Parsonage, North Lane, West Hoathly, West Sussex, England.
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780
Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging (top and sides); top corners, initials in separate stamps arranged in triad with ‘WR’ above ‘E’; top centre, date on single block overstamped.
Notes: It is somewhat puzzling why a furnace should have a stock of letters but not of numerals. The use of a block for the date suggests that other firebacks may bear the same stamp.
Inscription: WER [triad] 1632 WER [triad]
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- individual letters
- date stamp
- text
Manufactured: in 1632 in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Priest House, West Hoathly, West Sussex, England.
Museum number: 1944.24.233 (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)
- Attached to series:
- Date & initials firebacks
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781
Description: Rectangular with arched, mirrored, scrolls on top, surmounted by the winged face of a cherub; fillet edging continued into mirrored scrolls over the top; on either side, scrolled stylised seed pods; central scene of King David beneath a baldachin standing on a plinth, playing a harp to his left; to his left a child plays the violin, to his right another plays a trumpet, both stand on low plinths; at the bottom, a rectangular panel with an oval within a cartouche between swirled foliage.
Notes: An untypical religious-inspired subject with notably rococo design elements.
Copies of this fireback are known.
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular with ornate arch (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- pictorial
- biblical
- humans
Manufactured: in the mid- to late-18th century in England.
Current location: Priest House, West Hoathly, West Sussex, England.
(part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)
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1223
Description: Rectangular; no edging; top centre, inscription, FF, and date, 1732, separated by a small saltire.
Notes: The possibility exists that the initials are those of Francis Fairburn, whose descendants are known to have occupied the house where it lies.
Inscription: FFx1732
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- none (edging)
- individual letters
- individual numbers
- text
Manufactured: in 1732 possibly in the Weald area of England.
Current location: in private hands, West Peckham, Kent, England.
- Attached to series:
- Date & initials firebacks
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1071
Description: Rectangular; cavetto-moulded edging; horizontal line of twisted rope parallel with the top; two vertical lines of twisted rope parallel to the sides; fillet arc inside the corner of the horizontal and vertical lines; each arc encloses 28 (left) or 29 (right) 'daisy heads', with a line of the same stamp around the inside of the lines; in the top corners, the split date; in the top compartment, initials, TH, between 22 hollow saltires, each with a central bead, in a horizontal line, 11 on each side; in each side compartment, at least seven hollow saltires arranged vertically.
Notes: The fireback is partially sunk into the floor of the hearth, so its height is not known.
Inscription: 16 TH 99
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- cavetto (edging)
- carved stamps
- individual numbers
Manufactured: in 1699 in the Forest of Dean area of England.
Current location: in private hands, Westbury on Severn, Gloucestershire, England.
- Attached to series:
- Hollow saltire series
- Newent area group
- Date & initials firebacks
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787
Description: Rectangular with an arched rectangular style arch linked by symmetrical cyma curves; double moulded edges except on the base; the date, 1720, in characteristic lettering of the early 18th century, bisected by a shield and crest formed from the impression of a carved wooden stamp. The arms are probably those of a branch of the Harvey family: a chevron (gules) between three bear’s gambs erased and erect armed (ermines).
Notes: The Harvey family of Eythorne, Kent, bore similar, but not identical arms, differenced by the addition of three crescents on the chevron. There are stylistic similarities between this fireback and two firebacks bearing the arms of the Duke of Dorset at Knole, which are probably of similar date, suggesting that they could be products of the same furnace.
Inscription: 17 20
Arms: Harvey of Eythorne, Kent (variant)
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular with canted top corners and round arch (shape)
- double stepped astragal (edging)
- carved stamps
- individual numbers
- armorial
- text
Manufactured: in 1720 in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Quebec House, Westerham, Kent, England.
Museum number: 529003 (part of the National Trust museum group)
- Attached to series:
- Personal armorial firebacks
- 1720s Wealden series