Firebacks

Description: Arched rectangular shaped central panel with fillet and bead edging, Neptune/Poseidon, holding a trident in his right hand, sitting in a scallop shell drawn by four mythical sea horses, behind are two mermaids blowing horns; arched rectangular shaped border with ovolo egg and dart edging; above, two symmetrical dolphins with a clam shell between.

Notes: Typical type of fireback produced in Germany by Dutch pattern makers; the central panel was made separately for insertion into different borders; this border is a relatively simple type.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Description: Arched rectangular central panel with bead edging; pictorial scene of Venus sitting in a couch, with two other females, swathed in drapery, a putto holding an oval mirror to her left; Arched rectangular border with fillet edging; central cartouche at top, with festoons of fruit, flowers and leaves suspended on each side from ribbons supported by rings; at the bottom, swirled ribbon around an oval compartment bearing the inscription; on top, a central cartouche from which descend a cornucopia on each side of the arch.

Notes: The design is a copy of 'The Toilet of Venus' by Simon Vouet (c.1640); the image has been reversed. The inscription indicates the style of border; other firebacks with the same inscription have the same border; similar inscriptions (e.g. L7C and L8G) indicate different borders. Von den Driesch (p.517) illustrates the same central image within an L8G border.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: L6C

Description: Arched rectangular central panel with bead edging; pictorial scene of a female holding a small child, with two putti, one on each next side of her; arched rectangular border with fillet edging; central cartouche at top, with festoons of fruit, flowers and leaves suspended on each side from ribbons supported by rings; at the bottom, swirled ribbon around an oval compartment bearing the inscription; on top, a central cartouche from which descend a cornucopia on each side of the arch.

Notes: The allegorical figure of Charity; the inscription indicates the style of border; other firebacks with the same inscription have the same border; similar inscriptions (e.g. L7C and L8G) indicate different borders.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: L6C

Description: Arched rectangular central panel with canted top corners and bead-on-fillet edging; elaborate central cartouche containing the double-headed eagle of the Holy Roman Emperor supported by male and female figures standing on a compartment with fillet edging, containing scrolled foliage and a central fleur-d-lys; above the central cartouche, the imperial crown and swagged drapery; arched rectangular border with canted top corners and cavetto-moulded edging; symmetrical arrangement of traceried foliage; on top, central oval casket with a serpent descending on each side of the arch to a further similar casket on each shoulder of the plate.

Notes: A variation of the standard 'Dutch' style of fireback.

Description: Arched rectangular centrel panel with bead on fillet edging; pictorial scene of a seated naked female with two clothed male figures behind; in front is a pool with a fountain to the right, and platform with a vase of flowers to the left; behind, an archway and a tree; arched rectangular border with fillet edging; at the top of the arch a cartouche from which are suspended two ribbons, each held by a putto, from which cascade flowers and fruit, each lower part hung from a ring; two putti are on each side, one climbing on the suspended ribbon, the other at its foot; at the bottom, a cartouche containing the monogram between two clusters of flowers each suspended on a ribbon tied to a scroll; on top, two descending cornucopiae.

Notes: The scene is of Susanna and the Elders from the biblical Apocrypha.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: HIS

Description: Arched rectangular central panel with bead on fillet edging, pictorial representation of a man and woman walking, behind the woman a child holds her train and a young person carries a parasol; from behind a column on the right, a horse's head is visible, a tree stands to the left; arched rectabular border with cavetto-moulded edging; top centre, scallop shell from which descend undulating leaf fronds; on top, a pomegranate to which ascends a serpent on each side, with a further pomegranate on each shoulder of the plate.

Notes: The pictorial scene is based on an engraving c.1642 of Friedrich Wilhelm, Elector of Brandenburg, and his wife, Luise Henriette of Oranje-Nassau, by Mathias Czwiczek; one of series of firebacks depicting allegories of the four continents.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: EVROPA

Description: Arched rectangular shape; twisted rope edging with inaccurately parallel arched rectangular fillet inside, enclosing repeated small fleur-de-lys stamps along sides and top; initials in triad in each of the internal top corners; date in arch.

Notes: The initials probably relate to a couple whose surname begins with C, the husband's forename initial being R and the wife's I (or J).

Inscription: RCI/ 1675 / RCI

Description: Arched rectangular shaped; cavetto-moulded edging; on each side a column of large overlapping leaves above a pedestal with a single rose; issuing from the top of each column two ribbons, in figure-of-eight with grenade terminals, fly across the arch; within an arched central panel with bead edging three naked children disport about a swag of fruit, with a central pomegranate, suspended from the top of each column; one figure sits on the top, facing right, the other two hang symmetrically from below; along the base is a line of acanthus leaves; on top a sea serpent is curled on each end.

Notes: The design may have been inspired by the paintings of Jan Pauwel Gillemans the younger (1651-1704); he may have worked in London in 1675-8. Another version (no. 575), probably by the same pattern maker, has a central finial on top and different proportioned fruit and figures.

Copies of this fireback are known.

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: Rectangular; cavetto edging all round; seated lion on right, its tail rising above its back and its head turned to face the viewer; a seated sheep on the left; date split across top.

Notes: Intended to represent the saying, ‘The lion shall lie down with the lamb’, a popular misquotation of Isaiah 11: 6.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: 1679