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157
Description: Arched rectangular shaped central panel with paternost bead edging; figure holding a bow in his left hand and a lyre in his right hand, a quiver suspended from his belt, on an undulating ground with small trees, and suspended swags of drapery above; Arched rectangular shaped border with fillet edging, and symmetrical flowers and swirled tendrils; initials at bottom centre; on top, symmetrical pattern of swirled leaves and tendrils.
Notes: The figure is Apollo, personifying the Sun, one of a set of 'Eight Deities' engraved by Hendrick Goltzius (1592), after Polidoro da Caravaggio; the fireback is one of a large group bearing the same initials, which probably denotes the pattern maker. Other groups may have been the work of the same carver or workshop. The execution is rather crude. Formerly part of the J. H. Every collection.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: SHR
- Decoration tags:
- 'Dutch' (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- planklines
- mythological
- monogram
- text
Manufactured: in the late 17th to early 18th century in England.
Current location: Anne of Cleves House, Southover High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, England.
Museum number: 1944.24.73 (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)
- Attached to series:
- SHR series
- British 'Dutch' style firebacks
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1130
Description: Arched rectangular central panel with helical ribbon edging; pictorial image of a partially clothed female figure, holding an upraised wreath in her left hand and a garland in her right hand, standing on a ground, with a gadrooned vase containing flowers and leaves to the right and, above, swagged drapery; arched rectangular fillet border with descending leaves and flowers suspended from a wreath, top centre, and a wreath in each top corner; on top, mirrored swirled fronds terminating in the heads of sea monsters; bottom, all decoration obliterated by fire damage.
Notes: The figure is an allegorical representation of Agriculture, one of the Iconologia originally published by Cesare Ripa in 1613. Possibly one of the SHR series.
- Decoration tags:
- 'Dutch' (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- allegorical
- humans
- plants
- objects
Manufactured: in the early 18th century in England.
Current location: 21 Nederstraat, Amerongen, Utrechtse Heuvelrug, Netherlands.
- Attached to series:
- Agriculture firebacks
- British 'Dutch' style firebacks
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1135
Description: Arched shape; fillet edging; top centre, date; decorative Tudor royal shield, crown, garter (motto clockwise but reversed) and supporters (dragon and greyhound); a rose to the left and a portcullis (grid of 6) to the right side of crown; the supporters stand on a horizontal compartment which, on similar firebacks, often contains the date.
Notes: There are several firebacks with the Tudor royal arms that were probably originally 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 rose and portcullis.
Inscription: 15 70 / HONY SOYT QVI MAL Y PENSE
Arms: English royal Tudor
- Decoration tags:
- arched (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- individual numbers
- heraldic
- armorial
- text
Manufactured: in 1570 possibly in the Wallonia area of Luxembourg.
Current location: 21 Nederstraat, Amerongen, Utrechtse Heuvelrug, Netherlands.
- Attached to series:
- Tudor royal armorial firebacks
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1139
Description: Arched rectangular shape; fillet edging to a rounded frame with sections of acanthus leaves at the corners and at the top of the arch, and blank campartments in between; astragal and fillet inside edging; arched rectangular inscription scroll suspended with faux ribbon from the top of the arch; below, a coronet over a large baroque cartouche containg two oval shields: Massenbach - azure two bars or, d'Helmstadt - argent a crow sable; on either side, lion rampant reguardant supporters; four vertical planklines.
Notes: A finely executed carving. Nicolas de Massenbach (1659-1722) and Francoise d'Helmstadt (d.1729) were married at Ourches-sur-Meuse, in Lorraine, in 1695.
Inscription: NDM 1710 FDH
Arms: Nicolas de Massenbach and Francoise d'Helmstadt
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- planklines
- heraldic
- armorial
- text
Manufactured: in 1710 in France.
Current location:, France.
Citation: Palasi, P., 2014, Plaques de Cheminées Héraldiques (Paris, Éditions Gourcuff-Gradenigo)
- Attached to series:
- Patterns
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844
Description: Arched rectangular central panel; fillet edging; pictorial scene of a cloaked figure, to the right, tempting a dog, to the left, with a tasty morsel; behind are the outlines of a door and window; arched rectangular border with fillet edging, the date along the bottom; down each side, a floral festoon; over the arch, the inscription, the initials split between each side of the main inscription; on top, floral scrolls.
Notes: The inscription translates as 'loyalty above gifts'; some castings omit the initials, NL, indicating that they were a subsequent addition.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: N / FIDES DONA SUPERAT / L // 1696
- Decoration tags:
- 'Dutch' (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- individual letters
- planklines
- pictorial
- allegorical
- text
- animals
- humans
Manufactured: in 1696 possibly in the Siegerland area of Germany.
Current location: English Heritage Store, Atcham Business Park, Atcham, Shropshire, England.
Museum number: EH ASC 4491 (part of the English Heritage museum group)
- Attached to series:
- 'Dutch' 1696 NL series
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203
Description: Rectangular; fillet edging; fillet parallel to top edge separating top quarter; two fillets parallel to sides separating side quarters; halves of date in top corner squares.
Notes: Numeral style is typical of first half of 18th century.
Inscription: 17 36
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- individual numbers
- text
Manufactured: in 1736 in England.
Current location: Selly Manor, Birmingham, West Midlands, England.
(part of the Selly Manor museum group)
- Attached to series:
- Date only firebacks
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889
Description: Arched shape; fillet edging; swan within a voided strapwork cartouche; date in Arabic numerals, at bottom, on a broad horizontal fillet.
Notes: Stylistically, of the early 17th century, suggesting the date is 1617, although the third numeral is indistinct. Bonham's sale, Chester, 18 October 2012, lot 384.
Inscription: 16 1[?]7
- Decoration tags:
- arched (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- heraldic
- architectural
- text
- animals
Manufactured: in 1617 in England.
Current location:.
- Attached to series:
- Miscellaneous pattern firebacks
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206
Description: Rectangular with two-stepped top; double astragal edging on sides; top centre, stamp formed of a talbot statant guardant upon a wreath; date split either side of crest; initials below date, ‘+’ below letters.
Notes: The talbot crest is seen on other firebacks indicating a common source.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: 16 22 / I + H
- Decoration tags:
- stepped (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- simple stamps
- carved stamps
- individual numbers
- heraldic
- text
Manufactured: in 1622 in the Weald area of England.
Current location: St Mary's House, Bramber, West Sussex, England.
- Attached to series:
- Talbot crest series
- Stepped firebacks
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22
Description: Arched rectangular shaped; fillet edging; a lion rampant
Notes: Whole pattern. A modern design of fireback
Copies of this fireback are known.
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- heraldic
- animals
Manufactured: in the late 19th to early 20th century in England.
Current location: St Mary's House, Bramber, West Sussex, England.
- Attached to series:
- Miscellaneous pattern firebacks
-
207
Description: Arched rectangular shape; ovolo-moulded edge; Tudor royal shield, crown, garter and supporters (dragon and greyhound). Crowned rose on left, and crowned portcullis (grid of 16) on right side of crown; the supporters stand on a horizontal fillet; date panel with ovolo-moulding on top, central putto face splitting two parts of date with faces of putti in profile at each end.
Notes: Arms are of Edward VI. A very clear casting, almost certainly from the original pattern. 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.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: HONI SOIT QVI MAL I PENSE / 15 48
Arms: Tudor royal Edward VI
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- planklines
- heraldic
- armorial
- royal
- text
Manufactured: in 1548 possibly at Eisenschmitt furnace in the Eifel area of Germany.
Current location: in private hands, Cox Green, Berkshire, England.
Citation: Kippenberger, A. 1973, Die Kunst der Ofenplatten (Düsseldorf, Verlag Stahleisen), p. 107.
- Attached to series:
- Edwardian royal armorial firebacks
- Tudor royal armorial firebacks