-
278
Description: Arched rectangular shape with fillet edging; mirrored drapery swags emanating from two wings, and terminating in elongated tassels hung from hooks; date split by wings; initials split at bottom corners.
Notes: A simple design with space for further personalised decoration.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: 16 87 / C S
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- individual letters
- individual numbers
- heraldic
- text
Manufactured: in 1687 possibly in the Siegerland area of Germany.
Current location: Chequers, Ellesborough, Buckinghamshire, England.
- Attached to series:
- 'Dutch' Border only firebacks
-
327
Description: Arched rectangular shaped central panel with open-bud edging; pictorial: Venus in her chariot drawn by doves, with her child, Cupid; a heron flies away to the left; above are swagged curtains and a pair of tassels, below is a landscape; arched rectangular shaped border with fillet edging, a scallop shell top centre with symmetrical arrangement of vine and acanthus leaves and tendrils; the monogram, SHR, bottom centre; above is a symmetrical design of scrolled floral tendrils.
Notes: The design is derived from a personification of the planet, Venus, in 'Planetarum effectus et eorum in signis zodiaci', by Marten de Vos (1585); the flying heron has been copied from a print by Wenceslaus Hollar c.1658. The theft, in 1699, from a Thames-side warehouse of several firebacks, including '6 of Venus in a Chariot with Doves' may refer to this type (Post Boy 11-14 Nov. 1699).
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: SHR
- Decoration tags:
- 'Dutch' (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- planklines
- pictorial
- mythological
- allegorical
- text
- animals
- humans
Manufactured: in the late 17th century in England.
Current location: Horsham Museum, Causeway, Horsham, West Sussex, England.
(part of the Horsham Museum museum group)
- Attached to series:
- SHR series
- British 'Dutch' style firebacks
-
344
Description: Arched rectangular central panel, with bead-and-pellet edging; pictorial, standing female figure in classical dress, facing to the left, holding a snake in her right hand, a bunch of flowers at lower left; the initials located in bottom corners; arched rectangular border, fillet edging, containing swirled foliage, with a putto in the top corners; on top, two perched bird facing each other, with swirled foliage descending behind them.
Notes: The figure is of Sapientia, or Wisdom, based closely on an engraving, one of a set entitled 'The Virtues' by Hendrik Goltzius c.1593; a small number of firebacks bear the initials, GK; it is not known to whom they refer, but dated ones are of 1700.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: G K
- Decoration tags:
- quasi-arched rectangular (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- pictorial
- allegorical
- text
- humans
Manufactured: in the early 18th century in the Siegerland area of Germany.
Current location: Ightham Mote, Ightham, Kent, England.
Museum number: NT/IGH/M/33 (part of the National Trust museum group)
- Attached to series:
- 'Dutch' GK series
-
1108
Description: Arched rectangular shape; Greek Key border with fillet edges; in high relief, in front of swagged drapery, the shield of, quarterly, France quartering England, Scotland and Ireland, surrounded by a Garter, and surmounted by a ducal coronet; below, the inscription in capitals.
Notes: The use of the Greek Key design as a border is believed to be unique for an English fireback. The arms are indistinct but appear to be the Stuart arms of the reign of Queen Anne before the union with Scotland in 1707, which were anachronistic by 1732. Also, the superposition of a ducal coronet in place of the royal crown is unusual. Sowley Furnace, near Beaulieu in Hampshire, was owned in 1732 by John, 2nd Duke of Montagu, and was let to Miles Troughton. Criterion Auctions, Islington, 7 Jan 2019.
Inscription: HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE / SOWLEY MDCCXXXII
Arms: Stuart royal (1707-14) France/England, Scotland and Ireland
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- carved pattern panels
- heraldic
- armorial
- royal
- text
Manufactured: in 1732 at Sowley Furnace, Beaulieu in the New Forest area of England.
Current location: Criterion Auctions, 53, Essex Road, Islington, London, England.
- Attached to series:
- Stuart royal armorial firebacks
-
854
Description: Sub-rectangular fragment; undulating vine tendril strip repeated twice vertically from left edge with a bird stamp (probably a swan, a Lancastrian badge) repeated three times between, interspersed with a grape cluster stamp repeated seven times; vine tendril stamp repeated twice horizontally at right angles to rightmost vertical strip, three bird stamps between strips and two above, interspersed with seven grape cluster stamps.
Notes: This fragment incorporates common elements from a large series of firebacks.
- Decoration tags:
- sub-rectangular (shape)
- trailing vine (edging)
- carved stamps
- animals
- plants
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.
Museum number: LH000.924 (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)
- Attached to series:
- Pounsley series
- Vine strip series
- Swan series
- Furniture stamp firebacks
-
1211
Description: Arched rectangular shape: ovolo-moulded edging; pictorial scene of St George in armour, mounted on a horse, spearing a dragon which lies beneath the horse; in each top corner, a rose.
Notes: A portrayal of St George and the Dragon in bold relief that owes something to the famous modelling by Benedetto Pistrucci of 1817; however, the figure of St George is disproportionately large in relation to the horse.
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- ovolo (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- pictorial
- mythological
- animals
- humans
- plants
Manufactured: in the 20th century in England.
Current location: Thornhill Galleries, 43-45 Wellington Crescent, New Malden, London, England.
- Attached to series:
- Miscellaneous pattern firebacks
-
574
Description: Arched rectangular central panel with arch and bead edging within a similarly shaped cavetto-moulded border and pomegranates on to and on the ach shoulder of the plate; pictorial representation of the king of Sweden mounted on a horse.
Notes: The king would be Gustav II. There is a companion fireback bearing the image of Prince Fredrik Henrik of Oranje.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: DIE KONINCK VON SWEDEN
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular with arch (shape)
- cavetto (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- pictorial
- historical
- royal
- text
- animals
- humans
Manufactured: in the mid to late 17th century in the Siegerland area of Germany.
Current location: Petworth House, Petworth, West Sussex, England.
Museum number: NT/PET/M/65 (part of the National Trust museum group)
- Attached to series:
- 'Dutch' Miscellaneous Firebacks
- Commemorative firebacks
-
904
Description: Arched rectangular shaped central panel with five-bead and open pellet edging; pictorial: regal figure in his chariot drawn by two horses, a sceptre in his right hand; above, a putto descends from swagged curtains and a pair of tassels; below is a landscape with a cornucopia; arched rectangular shaped border with fillet edging, a scallop shell top centre with symmetrical arrangement of ivy and acanthus leaves and tendrils; the initial, N, in a cartouche bottom centre, between symmetrical oak fronds, leaves and acorns; above is a symmetrical design of scrolled floral tendrils terminating in sea monsters.
Notes: Very similar in design and execution to firebacks of the SHR and EB series, suggesting designs emanating from the same source and with a a similar inspiration. The figure in the chariot may be an allegory of the Sun.
Inscription: N
- Decoration tags:
- 'Dutch' (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- allegorical
- animals
- humans
- plants
- objects
Manufactured: in the early 18th century in England.
Current location: in private hands, Amerongen, Utrecht, Netherlands.
- Attached to series:
- N series
- British 'Dutch' style firebacks
-
765
Description: Arched rectangular; fillet edging with darts on the inside; circular arms of France within the chains of the Ordre d'Esprit and the Ordre de St Michel, with crown above, all resting on a framework compartment, with olive leaf sprays on each side ofn the shield.
Notes: Typical form of the arms of France of the period of Louis XIV.
Arms: France modern
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- armorial
- royal
Manufactured: in the late 17th to early 18th century in France.
Current location: Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, Kensington & Chelsea, Greater London, England.
Museum number: M.1132-1926 (part of the Victoria & Albert Museum museum group)
Citation: Carpentier, H., 1912, Plaques de Cheminées, Paris.
- Attached to series:
- Foreign armorial firebacks