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535
Description: Arched rectangular shape; no edging; raised central square surmounted by Royal Arms of Great Britain and Ireland, with Garter, crown and lion and unicorn supporters; surrounded by a horseshoe-shaped, twisted floral wreath, within which the inscription is printed in capitals. Above the arms a raised rectangular fillet is surmounted by two suspended floral swags, one above the other, comprising roses and oak apples. On each side of the fillet are two Tudor roses, one above the other.
Notes: Dated to between 1714 and 1801. The inscription is the visible part of an abbreviated version of the formal title of the monarch, ‘By the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, Duke of Brunswick and Lünenburg, Arch Treasurer and Prince Elector of the Holy Roman Empire’.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: MAG BRIT FRA ET HIB REX F D BRUN ET LUN DUX / HONY SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE
Arms: English Hanoverian royal
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- none (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- armorial
- royal
- text
- plants
Manufactured: in the 18th century in England.
Current location: Petworth House, Petworth, West Sussex, England.
Museum number: NT/PET/M/89 (part of the National Trust museum group)
- Attached to series:
- Hanoverian royal armorial firebacks
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1065
Description: Rectangular; no edging; rough background with 'incised' inscription across top in archaic lettering; central crowned male figure, in Saxon costume, standing astride and facing right, holding a battleaxe to his right in both hands; behind him to the right, a figure wearing a Norman-style helmet with nasal guard, advancing, with a shield, and a sword in his right hand; behind the central figure and to his right, a fallen figure with a circular shield covering him; below, the face of another fallen figure, also wearing a Norman helmet.
Notes: A dramatic pictorial fireback commemorating the Battle of Hastings. The pattern may have been made of a sculpted medium, such as clay.
Inscription: HAROLD REX
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- none (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- pictorial
- text
- humans
- objects
Manufactured: in the 20th century in England.
Current location: Mark Ripley Forge & Fireplaces, Northbridge Street, Robertsbridge, Salehurst, East Sussex, England.
- Attached to series:
- Commemorative firebacks
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660
Description: Rectangular; plain plate; central, vertical cross-hilt dagger stamp; left side, fleur de lys stamp repeated five times, irregularly arranged in three rows, two above and below and one in the middle; right side, fleur de lys stamp repeated six times, four in a star above two in a row.
Notes: The dagger (length approx. 35cm), seen on two other firebacks (no. 595 and no. 1100), may have beeen of Italian manufacture. The form of the fleurs-de-lys identifies this fireback as one of the ‘Royal’ series, a large group bearing heraldic stamps.
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- none (edging)
- simple stamps
- carved stamps
- heraldic
- objects
Manufactured: in the mid 16th century in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Hole Park, Rolvenden, Kent, England.
- Attached to series:
- Knife & Dagger stamp firebacks
- Royal series
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976
? x ? mmDescription: Plain rectangular plate with detached pediment; central shield with motto scroll below.
Notes: The severe classical form suggests that this back may have been intended for attaching to a grate. Blazon: Tynte - Gules, a lion couchant between six cross-crosslets Argent; Kemeys - Vert, on a chevron Argent three pheons Sable.
Inscription: DYW DY RAS
Arms: Tynte quartering Kemeys
- Decoration tags:
- rectangle with pediment (shape)
- none (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- armorial
Manufactured: in the 18th century in Wales.
Current location: Cefnmabli, Rudry, Glamorgan, Wales.
- Attached to series:
- Personal armorial firebacks
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675
Description: Quasi-arched rectangular shape; fillet edging; centre, fluted flower vase containing a variety of flowers, with a plant growing on each side, all within an arched rectangular bead-and-pellet border with looped top corners; on each side, a festoon of bell flowers, with a putto blowing a trumpet above; over each of their heads a single rose; top centre, a sunburst; bottom, an animal’s face between mirrored swirled foliage.
Notes: One of a small group of firebacks with similar outlines.
Copies of this fireback are known.
- Decoration tags:
- quasi-arched rectangular (shape)
- none (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- pictorial
- humans
- plants
- objects
Manufactured: in the early to mid 18th century in England.
Current location: Saffron Walden Museum, Saffron Walden, Essex, England.
Museum number: 1897-03 (part of the Saffron Walden Museum museum group)
- Attached to series:
- Late pictorial series (all)
- Late pictorial series 6
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690
Description: Canted rectangle; plain edges; broad horizontal fillet dividing the plate in two just above the side angles, with vertical fillets to top corners enclosing date and initials.
Notes: Uncharacteristically crude for the period.
Inscription: IS / 16 60
- Decoration tags:
- canted rectangular (shape)
- none (edging)
- simple stamps
- individual letters
- individual numbers
- text
Manufactured: in 1660 in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Smallhythe Place, Small Hythe Road, Tenterden, Kent, England.
Museum number: 1117951 (part of the National Trust museum group)
- Attached to series:
- Date & initials firebacks
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892
Description: Canted rectangular shape; plain edging with inset ?leather strap twisted round dowel (top and sides); top centre, date probably in stamped numerals; twisted leather strap saltire repeated three times across middle of plate; pair of stamped initials, formed of a Roman 'W' and a Gothic 'd', above each outer saltire.
Notes: Sotheby's sale London 27 November 2006, lot 324; formerly at Brunger, Kent (near Tenterden).
Inscription: 1610 / WD WD
- Decoration tags:
- canted rectangular (shape)
- none (edging)
- simple stamps
- individual letters
- individual numbers
- apotropaic
- text
- objects
Manufactured: in 1610 in England.
Current location: not known.
- Attached to series:
- Date & initials firebacks
- Miscellaneous stamp firebacks
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1167
Description: Canted quasi-rectangular shape; no edging; parallel with top edge, initials in triad to left, separated from date by a small, ill-defined flower stamp.
Notes: The serifed character set is boldly impressed, although the S is indistinct, suggesting that some of the moulding sand may have filled the impression before casting. The indentations on each side were cut to accommodate mouldings. Tennants Auctioneers sale, Leyburn, North Yorkshire, 20 March 2015, lot 781.
Inscription: ISM [triad] 1611
- Decoration tags:
- canted quasi-rectangular (shape)
- none (edging)
- individual letters
- individual numbers
- text
- plants
Manufactured: in 1611 in England.
Current location: not known.
- Attached to series:
- Date & initials firebacks
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1089
Description: Canted quasi-rectangular shape with no edging; straight length of ?dowel placed parallel to top and to each side; square stamp with fillet edge and four diagonally quartered squares repeated five times, three rotated with sides 45 degrees to the vertical in top corners and slightly left of lower centre, and two, unrotated, repeated twice in bottom corners.
Notes: The square stamps may be pastry moulds.
- Decoration tags:
- canted quasi-rectangular (shape)
- none (edging)
- simple stamps
- carved stamps
- objects
Manufactured: in the mid to late 16th century in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Authentic Reclamation, Lymden Lane, Ticehurst, East Sussex, England.
- Attached to series:
- Crossed square Wealden series
- Food mould stamp firebacks
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1109
Description: Rectangular; plain edging; asymmetrical arrangement of stamps: top right, three 'renaissance' style shield stamps with a 'PL' monogram above two [?]bougets, in a triangular arrangement bases uppermost; top centre, a shield, indented at the top, charged with a bird upon a branch; top left, crowned shield of France Modern between two inverted 'PL' monogram shields above a bird shield; to the right, a broad bladed dagger, point uppermost.
Notes: The dagger is of the cinquedea style, introduced from Italy in the early-16th century, length approx. 38cm; the bird shield stamp has been seen on other firebacks. Wilkinson's Auctioneers, Doncaster, 24 Feb 2019, lot 534 (£650).
Inscription: PL [in five shields]
Arms: 'France Modern'
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- none (edging)
- simple stamps
- carved stamps
- heraldic
- monogram
- armorial
- royal
- objects
Manufactured: in the early to mid 16th century in the Weald area of England.
Current location:, not known.
- Attached to series:
- Bird shield series
- Knife & Dagger stamp firebacks