Firebacks

Description: Arched rectangular central panel with additional arch above; bead and fillet edging; pictorial scene of Solomon, rising from a scallop-backed, canopied throne, greeting the Queen of Sheba, with other figures in attendance; identical shaped border with fillet edging; on top, a cockle shell with a descending serpent on each side, and a cockle shell on each shoulder of the plate.

Notes: Several contemporary paintings are of similar scenes; this design may have been derived from any of them.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Description: Arched rectangular shape; fillet edging; shield, crest and motto in relief in a recessed arched rectangle.

Notes: The arms are of Weston, of West Horsley, Surrey: Sable, a chevron or between three leopards heads erased argent crowned or and langued gules; crest: a wolf passant ducally gorged or; motto: Gloria sat Deus unus - God alone is sufficient glory; the Westons were at West Horsley Place from the mid 18th century.

Inscription: GLORIA SAT DEUS UNUS

Arms: Weston family of West Horsley, Surrey

Description: Arched rectangular shape; fillet edging; bell-flower column repeated on each side; at bottom, central rectangular panel, fillet edged, enclosing outstretched wings; above, intertwined leaves in figure-of-eight, enclosing a crown at the top.

Notes: This fireback incorporates features of the ‘Dutch’ style but within an English form.

Description: Arched rectangular central panel with hollow bead-on-fillet edging; pictorial scene of a female figure standing on a scallop shell on a ground, holding wind-blown drapery aloft; arched rectangular border with fillet edging; top centre, a scallop shell with descending tendrils and alternating flowers and scallop shells, and swirled leaves at the bottom; on top, mirrored serpents.

Notes: The allegorical figure of Fortune; similar in many respects to other ‘Dutch’ style firebacks of the period. The theft in 1699 from a Thames-side warehouse of several firebacks, including '5 iron Chimney-Backs cast in the figure of Fortune standing naked on a Conchus in the Sea' may refer to this type (Post Boy 11-14 Nov. 1699).

Copies of this fireback are known.

Description: Arched rectangular central panel with arch and bead-on-fillet edging; pictorial representation of a popinjay, or parrot, perched on a ring suspended by a ribbon from a bow, the bird is clutching an olive twig, other sprigs are below; arched rectangular border with arch and fillet edging; mirrored festoons of flowers and fruit suspended from roses, scrolled foliage at the bottom; on top, central scallop shell between descending dolphins.

Notes: The parrot on the ring perch is a popular design on Dutch firebacks.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Description: Arched rectangular central panel with bead edging; pictorial scene of the young Bacchus, a cup and bunch of grapes in his hands, seated on a barrel, surrounded by grape vines and buches, the date below the barrel, initials below, left and right; arched rectangular border with fillet edging; undulating vine design all round; on top, indistinguishable shape between two seated figures.

Notes: The seated figures on top are an unusual feature.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: 1701 / A [?] AL

Description: Damaged; top missing; arched rectangular central panel with bead edging; with tassel at top; three nude female figures: on top, Juno/Hera with a peacock, to the left Venus/Aphrodite, the young cupid/Eros at her feet, to the right Minerva/Athena with spear and shield; border with fillet edging; two suspended festoons of fruit and leaves; date and monogram in rectangular panel below central panel; rectangular panel at the bottom, with the inscription, PALLAS VND VENVS.

Notes: The three goddesses are those whose beauty was the subject of the Judgement of Paris. The composition is copied from an engraving by Adriaen Collaert (c1560-1618). Examples of this fireback have been recast in England, the opportunity being taken to insert an English inscription in place of the customary date and pattern maker's monogram.

Inscription: 16 NDW 97 / PALLAS VND VENVS

Description: Arched rectangular central panel with bead-and-pellet edging; S-scroll, two-handled, gadrooned vase with tulip stems, flowers and leaves; arched rectangular border with fillet edging and suspended flower bunches; along a rectangular bottom panel with fillet edging a symmetrical arrangement of swirled foliage; on top, two symmetrical, coiled serpents; narrow, curved shouldered side panels with beads in oval depressions.

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: Rectangular; fillet edging (top and sides, except c.100mm at bottom of each side); arrangement of a circular butter print with fleur de lys design, repeated four times: one in each top corner, and two evenly spaced across the middle of the plate; a single circular butter print stamp with a heart-shaped design in the middle top position.

Notes: The fleur de lys stamp can also be seen on a fireback at Nymans, Handcross; one of the Pounsley series of firebacks.

Description: Canted rectangle; cavetto moulded edging (top and sides); single horizontal fillet below canted corners and vertical fillet parallel to each side, dividing the fireback into two side panels, two top corner panels, top panel and main central panel; corner panels, ‘daisy’ plant stamp; top panel, date between ‘daisy’ stamps, between initials in triad at each end; side panels, swirling foliage stamp repeated each side above a fleur-de-lys, above initial 'I' on left and 'B' on right; centre panel, stamp of ‘Indian’ smoking a pipe at top left, stamp of seated ‘gentleman’ smoking a pipe and holding another, at top right; below each, a seated monkey stamp, that on the left seated facing right, its paws in front of it and its tail below, that on the right seated facing left, its tail drawn across its chest.

Notes: The IB initials are identical to those on similar firebacks dated between 1703 and 1721, probably indicating the same founder. The number 3 of the date and the fleur-de-lys on the lower left side have been over-pressed showing the backs of the stamps. The use of stamps relating to tobacco smoking may suggest an origin near Bristol, the main entry port for the tobacco trade at that time.

Inscription: IES [triad] 1703 IES [triad] / I B