Firebacks

Description: Arched; cavetto edging; crowned plain shield bearing a Tudor rose, with crowned lion and dragon supporters, with garter and motto; date split by crown.

Notes: The numerals are more typically 16th century in form than are found on copies produced from the late-19th century (see no. 178), suggesting this may be the original design; illustration from Dawson (1903).

Inscription: 15 71 / T K; [English royal, and garter, mottoes].

Description: Arch-shaped; fillet edge; at top, date split by crown (horizontal of '7' missing), crown over a Tudor shield, garter (motto clockwise but reversed) and supporters; rose with viscount's coronet on dexter, and portcullis (grid of 16) with viscount's coronet on sinister side of crown; the supporters, a dragon and a greyhound, stand on separate plinths; the initials, G C, are placed in either side of the garter buckle.

Notes: There are several firebacks with the Tudor royal arms that were probably originally produced in the Spanish Netherlands, perhaps illustrating the association between England and Spain through the marriage of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon. The firebacks differ in several small details, such as the shape of the shield, the form and rotation of the Garter motto, the style of the crown, the positioning of the supporters in relation to the Garter, and the form and size of the crowned rose and portcullis. Hôtel Drouot auction, Paris, 21 Jan 2023, lot 89.

Inscription: 15 70 / HONY SOYT QVI MAL Y PENSE / G C

Arms: Tudor royal

Description: Rectangular with triangular arch; ovolo-moulded edging (top and sides); small stamp of a ‘Renaissance’ shield bearing the initials IC, repeated eight times 3-2-3) in a regular arrangement.

Notes: The initials have not been identified.

Inscription: IC

Description: Quasi-arched rectangular shape; twisted rope edging on top and sides of rectangle, and separately around arch; the rope ends extend beyond both ends of the top edge; vertical rope lengths, to full height, inside left and right edges; rope crosses in arch and in upper centre of rectangle.

Notes: Probably an early vernacular example of a design mimicking the ‘Palladian’ style. The crosses suggest Christian significance.

Description: Pentagonal with a small triangular arch, centre top; twisted rope edging (top and sides); in arch, cross formed of small fleurs-de-lys; row of small fleurs inside rope edging, lower half of sides plain; length of twisted rope each side, parallel to edges, with small fleur terminal at top end; upper centre, rope escarbuncle with fleur terminals between ‘R’ and ‘C’ (both of rope with fleur terminals, ‘R’ reversed); ‘A’ below escarbuncle (also rope with fleur terminals, with cross bar above); fleur cross below ‘R’.

Notes: Twisted rope with fleur terminals is seen on several firebacks with stamps otherwise associated; formerly at Warnham Court, Sussex; illustrated in Gardner 1898, p. 146. The escarbuncle is the principal charge on the arms of the Duchy of Cleves, possibly associating this fireback with the brief marriage of Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves.

Inscription: R A C [inverted triad]

Description: Rectangle with curved shoulders and low arch joined with concave curves; fillet and ogee moulded edging; central Tudor royal shield surrounded by garter, with crown above and lion and dragon supporters; royal initials either side of crown.

Notes: Damaged on bottom left corner; the garter motto includes ‘EQVI’ instead of ‘HONI’, making it meaningless; possibly ‘EQVI’ was a mis-transcription of ‘HONI’; the crown is distinctly continental in form; a much-copied fireback. Previously at Hoarthorns Farm, West Dean, Gloucestershire, where another fireback of the same design was recovered from a pond and is now at the Forestry Commission camp site at Christchurch, near Coleford.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: E R / EQVI : SOIT : QVI : MAL : Y : PENSE

Arms: Tudor royal - Edward VI or Elizabeth I

Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging (top and sides); in the upper part of the plate, between a leopard passant guardant sinister (on the left) and a leopard passant (on the right), a domed roundel bearing an off-centre smaller roundel within an edged circular depression, repeated four times in diamond pattern, with the smaller roundels orientated towards the centre of the arrangement; in the top corners, two more domed roundels, their smaller roundels orientated towards the bottom of the plate.

Notes: The roundel stamp has not been noted on any other firebacks. One of the legs of the leopard on the left and both legs of the leopard on the right are missing, suggesting that the stamps, which appear complete on many firebacks, were well used and had been damaged; this suggests a relatively late use of these stamps. Gorringe's auction, Lewes, lot 82, 2 Aug 2021 (£170). Bishop & Miller Auctioneers, Stowmarket, 27 Jan 2022, lot 383 (£2,900).

Copies of this fireback are known.

Description: Rectangular; ovolo moulded edging (top and sides); 14 impressions of a fleur de lys, arranged in three horizontal rows (5-4-5), carefully spaced.

Notes: The same fleur de lys stamp has been noted on several firebacks, indicating a common source.

Description: Rectangular; rope edging (top & sides); in centre, Tudor shield, garter, crown and supporters (greyhound and lion) between two fleurs-de-lys; date top left.

Notes: A badly corroded fireback. The armorial achievement is seen on other firebacks and was formed from four separate stamps; the supporters are consistent with the date; the style of the numerals is uncharacteristic of the period. The sharpness of the detail on the crown and upper part of the Garter indicates that the fireback is contemporary with the date, and not older as similar examples seem to be. The same date in identical form is on a similar fireback at Penshurst Place, Kent.

Inscription: 1579 / [Garter motto incomplete]

Arms: Tudor royal

Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging; twisted rope arranged to form inscription across upper half of plate.

Notes: The double 'v' may have an apotropaic significance, invoking the Virgin Mary.

Inscription: +W+