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1004
Description: Arched rectangular shaped central panel with bead edging; arched rectangular border with bead edging; fructal and floral festoons suspended on ribbons with two putti at the top and two on each side; in the left and right bottom corners, the initials 'HH' and 'S' respectively; at the bottom, a central cartouche with date (indistinctly), between floral swags; on top, twin spirals between descending floral festoons.
Notes: A border panel, without the central pictorial panel.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: HH S
Manufactured: in 1665 in the Siegerland area of Germany.
Current location: in private hands, Amerongen, Utrecht, Netherlands.
- Attached to series:
- 'Dutch' HHS series
- Base boards
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13
Description: Rectangular; composite: complex (cavetto/cyma recta/ovolo) moulded edging (top and sides), derived from domestic carpentry; two firebacks used as patterns: on the left, rectangular with mirrored floriate scrolled top, simulated overlapping tile edging at sides, with fillet bottom edge, a mythical salamander in the form of a dog with an arrow-shaped tongue, standing among flames, a stapled scroll inside the left and right edges; on the right, arched rectangular with fillet edging indented on the inner side, surrounding a circular clock face with Roman numerals, each interspaced with a bead, and a button outside each quarter, a triangular design of swirled foliage in each bottom spandrel; initials in triad between firebacks; below, stamp formed of a talbot statant guardant upon a wreath; date split: ‘1’s in top corners, ‘6’s above initials; bottom third of fireback plain.
Notes: The talbot crest, which in this instance has been over pressed and shows the shape of the backing, is seen on other firebacks indicating a common source; the 'salamander' fireback is part of the Stapled Scroll series; composite firebacks (where other firebacks are used as patterns) are uncommon in England.
Inscription: 16 61 / IBM
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- complex, furniture-derived (edging)
- composite
- individual letters
- individual numbers
- heraldic
- mythological
- text
- animals
- objects
Manufactured: in 1661 in the Weald area of England.
Current location: in private hands, Ardingly, West Sussex, England.
- Attached to series:
- Composite firebacks
- Talbot crest series
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966
Description: Arched rectangular shape; ovolo moulded edging; date in arch; below arch two parallel, vertical straps, each with a buckle at the top; initials left and right of centre; roughly symmetrical arrangement of four stamps repeated: rectangular stamp with deer three times down centre, one outside each buckle and one beyond each strap end; circular food mould stamp outside centre of each strap, beyond stag stamp outside buckle and at edge beyond strap end; 'rabbit' stamp at edge beyond food mould stamp outside each buckle and outside each strap end; rectangular stamp with 'dog' outside each initial and six times below strap ends.
Notes: The buckles suggest a connection with the Pelham family; the initials may relate to Sir Thomas Pelham, Bt. (1597-1654) who owned and operated ironworks at Waldron and Crowhurst in Sussex.From the drawing it is not certain if the stamps are the same as on another example of this fireback in Hastings Museum. The food mould stamp may be those seen on at least one other fireback. Recorded at Huggetts Farm, Waldron, Sussex, by Edward Hughes, of Heathfield, Sussex; J. Starkie Gardner collection, Victoria & Albert Museum, Archive of Art and Design (AAD/2014/8).
Inscription: 1642 / T P
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- ovolo (edging)
- carved stamps
- whole carved pattern
- individual letters
- text
- animals
- objects
Manufactured: in the mid 17th century possibly at Pounsley furnace in the Weald area of England.
Current location:.
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878
Description: Cavetto-canted arched rectangle; twisted rope edging, separately around rectangle and arch; initials 'R' and 'H' in upper left and right corners of rectangle; 'M' above date in arch.
Notes: The arch does not appear to have been a separate stamp, although the rope edging gives that impression; the initials, in triad, suggest a husband and wife - R.. and H.. M..
Inscription: M / 1654 / / R H
- Decoration tags:
- cavetto-canted arched rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- simple stamps
- carved stamps
- individual letters
- individual numbers
- text
Manufactured: in 1654 possibly in the Weald area of England.
Current location: in private hands, Birling, Kent, England.
- Attached to series:
- Date & initials firebacks
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993
Description: Arched rectangular shaped; ovolo-moulded edging (top and sides); central stamp of a carved bracket figure of a bearded man in a loincloth and cap; rhyme in capitals across rectangular plate, letters carved on strips, split by figure.
Notes: The twin miseries of a smoky house and a scolding wife are mentioned several times in literature. The dress of the figure suggests work as a miner, possibly linking this back with the Forest of Dean. Variants with initials and dates are also known.
Inscription: FROM ·A·-·SMOKY ·LIFE·/ AND·A SCOVL DING·WIFE·/ALL MEN THAT-DOE·ME·SE/ TAKE·PETIE- AND·DELIVER ME
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- ovolo (edging)
- carved stamps
- text
- humans
Manufactured: in the mid 17th century possibly at Laytons (Tintern) furnace in the Forest of Dean area of Wales.
Current location: Westwood Manor, Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, England.
Museum number: 222507 (part of the National Trust museum group)
Citation: Chambers, L. H., 'Fireback: Relic of 1660', Notes and Queries, 11th series, 6, Sept 26 1912
- Attached to series:
- Twin miseries series
- Figurine firebacks
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651
Description: Rectangular; cavetto edging; a left-facing cockerel grasps a snake in its beak, another snake writhes on the ground behind it; date to left of the cockerel’s tail; four vertical planklines.
Notes: The design may have religious significance, the snake symbolising sin and the cockerel denoting St Peter’s denial of Christ. The ‘1’ of the date is hooked, suggesting a common source with firebacks designed by the pattern-maker, IM.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: 1652
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- cavetto (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- planklines
- pictorial
- biblical
- text
- animals
Manufactured: in 1652 possibly at Brede furnace in the Weald area of England.
Current location:.
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851
Description: Rectangular with mirrored floriate scrolled top; simulated overlapping tile edging at sides, with fillet bottom edge; a mythical salamander in the form of a dog with an arrow-shaped tongue, standing among flames; a stapled scroll inside the left and right edges.
Notes: This fireback was used to create a composite fireback design on a plate at Rivers Farmhouse, Ardingly.
- Decoration tags:
- quasi-rectangular (shape)
- simulated overlapping tile (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- mythological
- animals
- objects
Manufactured: in the mid 17th century in the Weald area of England.
Current location:.
Citation: Lloyd, N., 1925, 'Domestic Ironwork I', Architectural Review, 58, pp. 58-67.
- Attached to series:
- Stapled scroll series
- Brede group
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853
Description: Arched rectangular shape; cavetto edging; three ostrich feathers issuing from a royal coronet; motto banner below.
Notes: The badge of the Prince of Wales; perhaps cast during the Commonwealth period; a variant at Rottingdean Grange has pattern-maker's initials.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: ICH [DIEN]
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- cavetto (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- heraldic
- royal
- text
- objects
Manufactured: in the mid 17th century in the Weald area of England.
Current location:.
Citation: Lloyd, N., 1925, 'Domestic Ironwork I', Architectural Review, 58, pp. 58-67.
- Attached to series:
- Prince of Wales firebacks
-
149
Description: Arched rectangular shape; ovolo moulded edging; date in arch; below arch two parallel, vertical straps, each with a buckle at the top; initials left and right of centre; rectangular stamp with bird, four times across top; larger rectangular stamp with unidentified animal, twice below initials.
Notes: The buckles suggest a connection with the Pelham family; the initials may relate to Sir Thomas Pelham, Bt. (1597-1654) who owned and operated ironworks at Waldron and Crowhurst in Sussex. An example at Great Dixter, Northiam, has a different arrangement of the same stamps.
Inscription: 1642 / T P
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- ovolo (edging)
- simple stamps
- carved stamps
- whole carved pattern
- individual numbers
- planklines
- text
- objects
Manufactured: in the mid 17th century in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Hastings Museum and Art Gallery, Hastings, East Sussex, England.
Museum number: 952.51.61 (part of the Hastings Museum museum group)
- Attached to series:
- 1642 Pelham series
- Pelham family firebacks
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399
Description: Arched rectangular shape; ovolo-moulded edging with inverted fleur-de-lys at top; lion passant guardant, with rose to the left and thistle above tail; date split between legs; single horizontal plank-line.
Notes: The boldness of the figuration suggests association with firebacks possibly cast at Brede Furnace in the same period.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: 1 6 5 6
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- cyma reversa/ogee (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- planklines
- heraldic
- text
- animals
- plants
Manufactured: in 1656 in the Weald area of England.
Current location:.
- Attached to series:
- Royalist series