Firebacks

Manufactured in the mid 17th century

118 results

  1. 49

    dallington,_acelands.jpg
    635 x 590 mm

    Description: Rectangular with cavetto curves rising to corners and a ‘portico’ top; fillet edging with bas-relief, alternate regularly spaced semi-circles and triangles inside; two-handled flower vase with acanthus bas-relief, trailing vines issuing from top, with pomegranate and hop(?), descending through handles to base; lion’s head at top; date split either side of vase base.

    Notes: The bas-relief edging also appears on other firebacks, suggesting the same pattern maker. The date was probably added separately. Formerly in Dallington, East Sussex. Burstow & Hewett auction, Battle, 3 Apr 2019, lot 1706 (£35).

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: 1662

    Manufactured: in 1662 in the Weald area of England.

    Current location:, not known.

    Citation: Hodgkinson, J. S., 2010, British Cast-Iron Firebacks of the 16th to Mid-18th Centuries (Crawley, Hodgers Books).

  2. 273

    dorton_house.jpg
    1200 x 775 mm

    Description: Rectangular with twisted rope edging top and sides; central arch with twisted rope edging; date in arch (8 with flattened top); initials repeated in top corners.

    Notes: An unusually large plate to have such simple decoration.

    Inscription: 1648 / TK TK

    Manufactured: in 1648 in England.

    Current location: in private hands, Dorton, Buckinghamshire, England.

    Citation: Hodgkinson, J. S., 2010, British Cast-Iron Firebacks of the 16th to Mid-18th Centuries (Crawley, Hodgers Books).

  3. 56

    dyrham_park 02a.jpg
    660 x 572 mm

    Description: Flattened arched rectangular shape; cavetto moulded edge all round; Stuart royal arms with lion and unicorn supporters, crown, garter and motto; CR initials placed separately outside supporters; date split either side of crown.

    Notes: A much-copied variant with the additional initials, I T, above the date and on either side of the crown.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: I T / 1635 / C R / HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE / DIEV ET MON DROIT

    Arms: English Stuart royal (Charles I )

    Manufactured: in 1635 in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Dyrham Park, Dyrham, Gloucestershire, England.

    Museum number: 453291 (part of the National Trust museum group)

    Citation: Hodgkinson, J. S., 2010, British Cast-Iron Firebacks of the 16th to Mid-18th Centuries (Crawley, Hodgers Books).

    Citation: Lloyd, N., 1925, 'Domestic Ironwork I', Architectural Review, 58, pp. 58-67.

  4. 1085

    faversham_930x620.jpg
    930 x 620 mm

    Description: Rectangular; rebated ovolo-moulded edging (top, left and half-right sides); top centre, date with unevenly positioned numerals.

    Notes: The asymmetry of the side moulding is unusual.

    Inscription: 1667

    Manufactured: in 1667 possibly in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Faversham, Kent, England.

  5. 295

    gainsborough_old hall 01.jpg
    665 x 722 mm

    Description: Five-facetted arched shape; ovolo-moulded edging comprising two separate lengths of moulding repeated to form sides and arch; shield of Hickman (per pale indented argent and azure) impaling Nevile (?gules a saltire argent) within repeated laurel leaves inside a scrolled cartouche; date top centre.

    Notes: William Hickman of Old Hall, Gainsborough, 2nd Baronet (1629-82), married Elizabeth Neville of Mattersey, Nottinghamshire, c.1652. The multi-facetted arch calls to mind a series of firebacks cast in the Weald which are also associated with the Nevills (see 1589 series), although they are of earlier date.

    Inscription: 1658

    Arms: Hickman impaling Neville; Sir William Hickman

    Manufactured: in 1658 in England.

    Current location: Gainsborough Old Hall, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, England.

    (part of the English Heritage museum group)

    Citation: Hodgkinson, J. S., 2010, British Cast-Iron Firebacks of the 16th to Mid-18th Centuries (Crawley, Hodgers Books).

    Citation: Peacock, E., 1881, [note on Iron Slab with armorial bearings found at Blyton, near Gainsborough], Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries, 2nd series, 8, pp. 44-5.

  6. 1234

    gardner_07.jpg
    ~960 x ~650 mm

    Description: Rectangular shape; overlapping laurel leaf on astragal edging; top centre, English royal crown above an arch-shaped laurel garland, the top tied with ribbon; beneath, a palm garland of the same shape but inverted, tied at the bottom, encircling twin letter Cs, one reversed; to left and right of centre, split date, 1667.

    Notes: Perhaps commemorating the Peace of Breda which brought the Second Dutch War to an end, the twin letter Cs probably represent King Charles II and Queen Catherine. J. Starkie Gardner (1898, p. 152) misread the date as 1661 and interpreted it as celebrating the Restoration. A similar casting was lot 76, Simon Drieu & Co. auctioneers, Jersey, 20 Jul 2022.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: 16 67

    Manufactured: in 1667 in England.

    Current location:, not known.

    Citation: Gardner, J. S., 1898, 'Iron Casting in the Weald', Archaeologia, 56, 1, pp. 133-164.

  7. 76

    guildford_museum 01.jpg
    655 x 445 mm

    Description: Rectangular with ‘portico’ arch; cavetto edging; two-handled vase, flower stems on each side entwined round handles; flowers emerging from top of vase; base of vase overlaps the edging.

    Notes: One of a varied group of small firebacks with bold, simple designs and cavetto edging; formerly in the possession of Gertrude Jekyll, Munstead Wood, near Godalming, Surrey.

    Manufactured: in the mid 17th century possibly in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Guildford Museum, Guildford, Surrey, England.

    Museum number: S.7129 (part of the Guildford Museum museum group)

    Citation: Hodgkinson, J. S., 2010, British Cast-Iron Firebacks of the 16th to Mid-18th Centuries (Crawley, Hodgers Books).

    Citation: Jekyll, G., 1903, Old West Surrey, London, Longmans.

  8. 1138

    hartpury,_prestberries.jpg
    864 x 533 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; twisted rope edging (top and sides); upper centre, date between shoulders of arch.

    Notes: The numerals have been crudely impressed, probably using a pointed implement.

    Inscription: 1658

    Manufactured: in 1658 in the Forest of Dean area of England.

    Current location: in private hands, Hartpury, Gloucestershire, England.

  9. 108

    haslemere_museum 07.jpg
    1500 x 770 mm

    Description: Quasi-rectangular with narrow arches at top ends and a broad low central arch, between which are flat-topped peaks linked to the arches by shallow concave curves; flanged edge (top and sides); mirroring the edge a channel has been engraved into the metal, extending into the small arches, producing the effect of a wide fillet along the top and sides with an inverted U-shaped return into the end arches; within the channel, at each end, a primitive representation of a vertical, hollow plant stem and four mirrored pairs of curved branches, with a vertical channel parallel to the edge joining the branch ends on the inside; between these is cast a small, rectangular panel with ovolo edging, bearing a full achievement of the arms of the Worshipful Company of Clothworkers; the date is centrally placed above this panel.

    Notes: An usual fireback for several reasons: the use of engraving for significant elements of the design, the flanged edge, and the incorporation of a small fireback. The Clothworkers’ arms: Sable a chevron ermine between in chief two Havettes Argent and in base a Teazel Cob Or; crest: on a Mount vert a Ram statant Or; supporters: two Griffins Or pellettée; the arms as displayed were granted in 1587. An example of the armorial fireback on its own is in Petworth House (no. 522).

    Inscription: WV 1659 WV

    Arms: Worshipful Company of Clothworkers

    Manufactured: in 1659 in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Haslemere Educational Museum, Haslemere, Surrey, England.

    Museum number: 8587 (part of the Haslemere Educational Museum museum group)

    Citation: Hodgkinson, J. S., 2010, British Cast-Iron Firebacks of the 16th to Mid-18th Centuries (Crawley, Hodgers Books).

  10. 119

    hastings_009.jpg
    685 x 430 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; cavetto moulded edge on all sides; perspective view of a lantern clock.

    Notes: The arms of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers were granted in 1672: Sable a Clock each of the four pillars of the case based on a Lion couchant and capped with a Globe surmounted by a Cross and on the dome of the case an Imperial Crown all Or. The hands of the clock show six o’clock, as on the livery company shield. Formerly part of the Ade Collection (from Grove Hill, Hellingly, Sussex).

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Manufactured: in the mid 17th century in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Hastings Museum and Art Gallery, John's Place, Bohemia Road, Hastings, East Sussex, England.

    Museum number: HASMG: 1952.51.48 (LA 776) (part of the Hastings Museum museum group)

    Citation: Hodgkinson, J. S., 2010, British Cast-Iron Firebacks of the 16th to Mid-18th Centuries (Crawley, Hodgers Books).