Firebacks

Description: Rectangular; cavetto-moulded edging; shield, crown and supporters of King Philip IV of Spain, incorporating the arms of Castille and Leon, Aragon - Sicily, Granada, Portugal, Austria, Burgundy and Brabant; around the shield is the chain of the Order of the Golden Fleece; at the top, the date split by the crown; behind, crossed lilies.

Notes: By 1662 the arms of Portugal were redundant on the Spanish royal arms, but were retained until after the death of Philip IV; the word, LOVEN, indicates the particular association of this plate with the town of Leuven, the capital of Brabant in what was, at the time, part of the Spanish Netherlands.

Inscription: 16 62 / LO VEN

Arms: King Philip IV of Spain

Description: Arched rectangular central panel with bead-and-pellet edging on a broad fillet; pictorial scene of a figure in a chariot drawn by birds, above a ground, and with clouds over; arched rectangular border with fillet edging; alternating acanthus leaves with symmetrical curled lines, monogram centre bottom; on top, two mirrored sea serpents; extension panels to each side.

Notes: The figure is that of Jupiter, holding a bolt of lightning, who is sometimes portrayed in a chariot drawn by eagles; width without extension panels - 477mm.

Inscription: [?]WH

Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging on top and (probably both) sides; cavetto-moulded-edged rectangle top centre, enclosing date between initials; 13 shields of Ayloffe impaling Sulyard in three rows (5-4-4), the bottom row having a gap between the middle pair of shields; Ayloffe: sable, a lion rampant Or, collared gules, between three crosses formy of the second; Sulyard: argent, a chevron gules between three pheons inverted sable.

Notes: William Ayloffe (c1535-1584) of Hornchurch, Essex, Justice of the Court of Queen’s Bench, married (c1560) Jane, dau. of Sir Eustace Sulyard, of Runwell, Essex. About 110mm of the left side has broken off suggesting an original width of 1340mm. The initials 'CT' are likely to be those of Charles Tyler, a founder whose working life and that of his family have strong parallels with the occurrence of these firebacks.

Inscription: C 1610 T

Arms: Ayloffe impaling Sulyard (William Ayloffe of Bretons, Hornchurch)

Description: Rectangular with ovolo-moulded edging; central oval shield of England (quarterly France modern and England) surrounded by the Garter with the additional word 'IL', and supported by a dragon on the dexter side and a greyhound on the sinister side, each standing on a plinth; to each side of the armorial group is a column with the upper part of the shaft fluted and the lower part foliate; each has an Ionic capital and a moulded pedestal; fire issues from the top of the capital.

Notes: The style of carving is not typical of English design but is similar to other firebacks bearing Tudor armorials that were probably cast in Wallonia.

Inscription: HONI SOIT IL QVI MAL Y PENSE

Arms: English royal Tudor (prob. Henry VIII)