Firebacks

Edging: none

80 results

  1. 343

    ightham_mote 02.jpg
    860 x 695 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; no edging; initials evenly spaced around arch; date split between top corners.

    Inscription: W S / 18 24

    Manufactured: in 1824 in England.

    Current location: Ightham Mote, Ightham, Kent, England.

    Museum number: 825375 (part of the National Trust museum group)

  2. 1250

    isleworth,_london_road,_04_688x458.jpg
    688 x 458 mm

    Description: Plain rectangular shape; no edging; separate initials in top left corners.

    Notes: The regular form of the letters suggest that they might be reused printing blocks.

    Inscription: T F

    Manufactured: in the 19th century in England.

    Current location: in private hands, Isleworth, London, England.

  3. 362

    lamberhurst,_scotney castle 04.jpg
    559 x 507 mm

    Description: Rectangle; no edging; date just above centre; initials above date.

    Notes: The disparity between the quality of the stamping of the date and initials may be because the date has been stamped from a single block. There are stylistic similarities with the memorial plate to John and Ann Luck, dated 1771, in Wadhurst church porch, Sussex.

    Inscription: I H / 1776

    Manufactured: in 1776 in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Scotney Castle, Lamberhurst, Kent, England.

    Museum number: 791899 (part of the National Trust museum group)

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

  4. 380

    lewes,_sussex arch soc 015.jpg
    950 x >585 mm

    Description: Plain edged, damaged rectangular plate; a buckle stamp repeated eight times in alternate horizontal and vertical pairs in four columns.

    Notes: The buckle closely resembles that used to decorate glazed bricks on the walls of Laughton Place, Sussex, built by Sir William Pelham in 1534.

    Manufactured: in the early to mid 16th century in the Weald area of England.

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

    Museum number: LH000.912 (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)

    Citation: Christy, M., 30 May 1908, 'The Old Flat Hearth and its Appliances, III - The Fire-back', The Crown, The Court and County Families' Newspaper, XCIX, Vol. 8, No. 9, pp. 383-6.

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

  5. 385

    lewes,_sussex arch soc 020.jpg
    690 x 525 mm

    Description: Rectangular with two-stepped top; plain plate; date across lower step; rope saltire in upper step; initials split below outer shoulders.

    Notes: The distinctive hand-formed characters on this and some other stepped firebacks imply a common source. Although the talbot crest, by which other firebacks in the series are identified, is absent on this casting, the shape and the style of the characters places it incontrovertably in the same group. Formerly part of the J. H. Every collection.

    Inscription: 1615 / R T

    Manufactured: in 1615 in the Weald area of England.

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

    Museum number: 1944.24.050 (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)

    Citation: Anon., 30 Dec 1911, 'Sussex Backs and their Story', The Ironmonger.

    Citation: Hughes, G. B., 21 Apr 1955, 'Old English Firebacks', Country Life, 117, pp. 1056-60.

    Citation: Hughes, G. B., May 1940, 'Old English Firebacks', Apollo, 31, 185, pp. 117-120.

    Citation: Hughes, G. B., Sep 1929, 'Old English Firebacks in the Collection of Mr John H. Every', Old Furniture, 8, pp. 28-32.

  6. 402

    lewes,_sussex arch soc 036.jpg
    760 x 880 mm

    Description: Rectangular with pediment and frieze resting on fluted Tuscan pilasters; plain podium base; rectangular central panel with double fillet edge divided into four with central panel containing initials; date in tympanum.

    Notes: An early example of the use of classical architectural elements in an English fireback. Formerly part of the J. H. Every collection.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: [1]568 / ER

    Manufactured: in 1568 in the Weald area of England.

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

    Museum number: 1944.24.062 (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)

  7. 428

    lewes,_sussex arch soc 064.jpg
    1085 x 1255 mm

    Description: Rectangular, with low curved top and stepped concave corners; suspended floral-chain border on top and sides; alternate small and large rings along the bottom; plain panel at base. Arms of Webster, baronet, of Battle: Azure, on a bend argent, cotised Or, between two demi-lions ermine, a rose gules, barbed and seeded proper, between two boars’ heads couped sable.

    Notes: Sir Thomas Webster was created baronet in 1703; he was succeeded by his son, Whistler, in 1750. A pair of matching, cast-iron side plates form a set with this fireback.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Arms: Webster of Battle

    Manufactured: in the early 18th century possibly at Robertsbridge Furnace, Salehurst in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Barbican House, High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, England.

    Museum number: 39.52/LH000.986 (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)

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

  8. 435

    lewes,_sussex arch soc 075.jpg
    1206 x 545 mm

    Description: Rectangular (damaged top left corner); plain plate; centre top, a circle of twisted rope enclosing a shield, indented at the top, charged with a bird upon a branch; on each side, a cross of twisted rope above two splayed lengths of rope.

    Notes: The rope design is likely to be apotropaic; the heavily pitted reverse of this fireback shows the use of poor quality iron cast at a relatively low temperature; the bird shield stamp has been seen on other firebacks.

    Manufactured: in the early to mid 16th century in the Weald area of England.

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

    (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)

    Citation: Easton, T. & Hodgkinson, J. S., 2013, 'Apotropaic Symbols on Cast-Iron Firebacks', Jnl. of the Antique Metalware Soc., 21, pp. 14-33.

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

  9. 439

    lewes,_sussex arch soc 079.jpg
    >660 x 795 mm

    Description: Fragment; left part only; this fireback comprises at least four separate elements: the rectangular central panel has an anchor with coiled rope between two fleurs de lys, below which are two roses; the rectangular side panels each comprise a vertical stem with six ‘grape bunches’ surmounted by a circular grape cluster; above, a semicircular arch contains the initials between two roses as in the central panel, with the date above; where the arch meets the central panel there is an arc across each corner. The side and top panels are edged with simulated twisted rope; to the left and botoom, a plain extension has been added before casting.

    Notes: One of an unusual series formed from separate panels. The left panel is likely to have been repeated in the missing section. The extensions to the side and bottom will be unique to this casting which, because of the sharpness of the relief detail, is probably an early example. Because of its date and the use of the anchor motif, this much-copied plate is often referred to as the Armada fireback. No other connection with the sea battle is known. Other firebacks have been cast using some of the separate elements described.

    Inscription: 1588 / IFC

    Manufactured: in 1588 in the Weald area of England.

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

    Museum number: 1944.24.060 (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)

  10. 443

    lewes,_sussex arch soc 083.jpg
    680 x 410 mm

    Description: Canted rectangle; plain plate with two rows of fleurs de lys, eight in the top row, three off set above the other five, and five in a single row along the bottom.

    Notes: The fleurs-de-lys are the same as are seen on firebacks thought to have been cast at Pounsley.

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

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

    (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)

    Citation: Butterfield, W. R., 1916, 'Old Wealden Firebacks', The Connoisseur, 46, pp. 197-209.

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