Firebacks

Edging: cyma reversa/ogee

16 results

  1. 1122

    accrington,_garden street 1020x690.jpg
    1020 x 690 mm

    Description: Plain rectangular plate with cyma reversa, or ogee, moulding on top and sides.

    Notes: A base board without other decoration. Other firebacks may have been cast using it.

    Manufactured: in the 17th century in England.

    Current location: 10 Garden Street, Accrington, Lancashire, England.

  2. 1163

    bonhams_19_feb_2020_lot_292_520x570.jpg
    520 x 570 mm

    Description: Arched; ogee edging; Tudor royal shield, garter, crown and supporters (dragon and greyhound); top left, crowned Tudor rose; top right, crowned portcullis (grid of 6).

    Notes: There are several firebacks with the Tudor royal arms that were probably produced in the Spanish Netherlands, perhaps illustrating the association between England and Spain through the marriage of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon. The firebacks differ in several small details, such as the form and rotation of the Garter motto, the style of the crown, the positioning of the supporters in relation to the Garter, and the form and size of the crowned rose and portcullis.; the placement of the rose and crown and of the crown above the portcullis suggest that they are stamps impressed over the original moulded design before casting. Bonhams auction, Oxford, 19 Feb 2020, lot 292.

    Inscription: HONI SOIT QVI MAL I PENSE

    Arms: Tudor royal

    Manufactured: in the mid-16th century possibly in the Wallonia area of Luxemburg.

    Current location:, not known.

  3. 852

    bridgewater_collection 06.jpg
    ?805 x ?590 mm

    Description: Rectangular; cyma recta (ogee) moulded edging (top and sides); fleur-de-lys stamp repeated three times across the upper part of the plate; a long pastry mould stamped between each pair of fleurs; above the central fleur, a small stamp, over-pressed, bearing FL below a coronet; above the right fleur, a small stamp, over-pressed, bearing a fish embowed.

    Notes: The food moulds are variations of others used in the same series.

    Inscription: FL

    Manufactured: in the mid- to late-16th century possibly at Pounsley Furnace, Framfield in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: not known.

  4. 399

    bridgewater_collection 10.jpg
    750 x 655 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; ovolo-moulded edging with inverted fleur-de-lys at top; lion passant guardant, with rose to the left and thistle above tail; date split between legs; single horizontal plank-line.

    Notes: The boldness of the figuration suggests association with firebacks possibly cast at Brede Furnace in the same period.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: 1 6 5 6

    Manufactured: in 1656 in the Weald area of England.

    Current location:, not known.

  5. 319

    christies,_london,_15_dec_2017,_lot_12_thomas_elsley_780x660.jpg
    780 x 660 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; cyma-reversa edging; Tudor royal shield, garter, crown, motto and supporters (crowned lion and dragon); Tudor rose to right of lion’s head, portcullis to left of dragon’s head; temp. Elizabeth I.

    Notes: This a replica cast from a modern pattern by Thomas Elsley Ltd. of London in imitation of a Tudor original.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: [Garter] HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE / [motto] DIEV ET MON DROIT.

    Arms: Tudor royal - Elizabeth I

    Manufactured: in the late-19th to early-20th century at Portland Metal Works, Great Titchfield Street in the London area of England.

    Current location: not known.

  6. 302

    gillingham_museum.jpg
    840 x 580 mm

    Description: Rectangular; cyma reversa moulded edging (top and sides); top centre, date with central space; top corners, ‘A’ above ‘TA’, in all cases the ‘A’ is inverted.

    Notes: The significance of the inverted ‘A’ is not known; possibly an example from a late 17th-century series which often includes a rose and crown stamp.

    Inscription: A 16 92 A / TA TA

    Manufactured: in 1692 in England.

    Current location: Gillingham Museum, Gillingham, Dorset, England.

  7. 902

    herstmonceux,_blackford farm.jpg
    1210 x 625 mm

    Description: Rectangular with ogee moulded edging (top and sides); symmetrically spaced along the top, initials, IMF, between split date in well-defined characters.

    Notes: The initials are believed to be of John Meers Fagg, who owned Blackford Farm, Herstmonceux, at that date. Fagg purchased three firebacks from Heathfield Furnace, Sussex, in September 1758, costing £4 10s. 6d. They were cast by Thomas Cavie, who was paid a shilling a piece (East Sussex Record Office, Brighton, SAS-RF/15/3/35, f.22). At least one other fireback is known with some of the same character set.

    Inscription: 17 IMF 58

    Manufactured: in 1758 at Heathfield Furnace in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: in private hands, Herstmonceux, East Sussex, England.

  8. 400

    lewes,_sussex arch soc 034.jpg
    675 x 620 mm

    Description: Rectangular with two mirrored scrolls on top, a lion’s face between; ogee-moulded edging; central pilaster with vine scrolling, Corinthian capital, a diamond on the pedestal; on either side, an arched alcove with fillet edging, each with a halberdier in mid-17th century clothes, their feet pointing to the middle.

    Notes: A more common version has different edging and a pattern-maker’s mark. Formerly part of the J. H. Every collection.

    Manufactured: in the mid-17th century possibly at Brede Furnace in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Anne of Cleves House, Southover High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, England.

    Museum number: 1944.24.064 (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)

  9. 465

    little_horsted, college farm 03.jpg
    1020 x 870 mm

    Description: Rectangular with three-faced arch; ogee moulded edging; top centre, overlapping, crossed staples arranged diagonally, each pointing to a bottom corner.

    Notes: The crossed staple is the badge of the Nevill family, and this fireback came from Eridge Park, the seat of the Marquess of Abergavenny.

    Manufactured: in the 18th century possibly in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: in private hands, Little Horsted, East Sussex, England.

    Citation: Hodgkinson, J. S., 2010, British Cast-Iron Firebacks of the 16th to Mid-18th Centuries (Crawley, Hodgers Books).

  10. 1169

    monmouth,_unknown_930x685.jpg
    930 x 685 mm

    Description: Rectangular shape; cyma reversa moulded edging (top and sides); top centre, initials EHA in triad; date split each side of initials.

    Notes: Well formed and well spaced letters and numbers.

    Inscription: 17 EHA [triad] 51

    Manufactured: in 1751 in England.

    Current location: not known.