Firebacks

Description: Carved wooden fireback pattern. Arched rectangular central panel, astragal and fillet edge, pictorial, Hercules, sword in hand, preparing to slay the Hydra; arched rectangular border, fillet edge, ivy leaves and tendrils, monogram at bottom; swirled foliage on top.

Notes: Unusually for a pattern, it was carved from a single piece of wood; formerly in the custody of William Hobday (d. 1883), last surviving ironworker at Ashburnham furnace, this pattern was given to the Sussex Archaeological Society by the Earl of Ashburnham.

Inscription: TAN

Description: Carved wooden fireback pattern. Arched rectangular central panel with astragal and fillet edging; Phaëton riding Apollo’s chariot across the skies, the sun to the left behind clouds, a lion on ground below, between two trees; arched rectangular border with fillet edging; trailing convolvulus leaves surround the central panel.

Notes: The illustration upon which the design has been based has not been identified, save that it figures in book II of Ovid's Metamorphoses. The convolvulus border is a common feature of this series of firebacks; given to the Sussex Archaeological Society by the Earl of Ashburnham.

Description: Arched shape; double-fillet edged arched border, with six evenly-spaced roses, resting on pilasters; shield, supporters, garter and coronet of the Earl of Exeter; plain rectangular bottom panel.

Notes: The arms are of the earldom of Exeter, which was created in 1605 for Thomas Cecil, 2nd Lord Burghley (1542-1623).

Inscription: HONY SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE [illegible]

Arms: Cecil, Earls of Exeter

Description: Arched rectangular central panel within double fillet foliate edging; pictorial scene of a crudely modelled clothed female figure holding a wand? in the right hand; indistinct pictorial element to bottom right; arched rectangular border with fillet edging containing repeated swirled decoration; on top, two mirrored sea monsters.

Notes: A crude pastiche of the 'Dutch' style of fireback; the central figure may be Hera with a peacock. Formerly at the Raleigh Trevelyan estate, St Cadix, Cornwall.

Inscription: WHC[?]

Description: Arched rectangular central panel with bead edging; pictorial scene of a stork dipping its beak into a tall pot, a fox close by, a tree to the right; arched rectangular border with fillet edging; at top, a double clasp with descending ribbon on each side from which are suspended, via rings, a shield, trumpets and an armoured torso; at the bottom, an oval cartouche between two blocks; on the top, a central pomegranate between two descending sea serpents, and a pomegranate on each shoulder of the plate.

Notes: The scene illustrates one of Aesop's Fables.

Description: Quasi-arched rectangular shape; fillett edging; vertical stylised seed pods contra-scrolled at each end, flanking central pictorial scene of young Jupiter in front of clouds and sunbeams, above young Mars firing a cannon; above, three roses suspended from swirls flanking a basket of flowers; on each side a foliate scroll with a flower bud resting on each; at the bottom, a separate panel with symmetrical swirled foliage.

Notes: One of a small series of firebacks with similar borders.

Description: Arched rectangular central panel with bead-and-pellet edging; on a ground between two plants, a gadrooned 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; 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.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Description: Arched rectangular central panel with bead on broad fillet edging; two-handled vase standing on a ground, with flowers and oak fronds issuing therefrom in a symmetrical display; arched rectangular border with fillet edging; symmetrical undulating vine with flowers and leaves descending from a trio of flowers; at the bottom, the letter W in a cartouche between swirled foliage; on top, mirrored swirled foliage issuing upwards from a mythical creature on each shoulder.

Notes: The floral theme and its execution shows parallels with the SHR, N and 1724 series of firebacks and could be from the same workshop. The 'W' initial probably denotes the pattern maker.

Inscription: W

Description: Arched rectangular shape; fillet edging; shield, helm, crest and mantling of the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths (see Fig. 3); date in top corners; initials at bottom, below mantling; two planklines.

Notes: One of the hooked ‘1’ series; a copy from an evenly impressed original.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: 16 50 / I M

Arms: Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths

Description: Arched rectangular central panel with bead-on-fillet edging; central vase containg a variety of flowers and foliage; arched rectangular border with fillet edging containing two arrangements of fruit and leaves descending on each side from ribbons, and with ribbons at the shoulders; at the bottom, the monogram 'NDW' between the two halves of the date; above the arch, descending scrolled foliage.

Notes: This fireback differs in its form from others with the NDW monogram and is closer to an English form seen in the TAN series, albeit considerably smaller.

Inscription: 17 NDW 04