Firebacks

Pounsley series

63 results

  1. 468

    lloyd_002.jpg
    ~980 x ~483 mm

    Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging (top and sides); stamp formed of a bordered strip with an undulating vine with grapes and leaves, repeated six times in three horizontal rows of two; below, a short piece of the same strip positioned vertically and repeated twelve times.

    Notes: The vine strip features on many firebacks indicating a common source. Illustration from Lloyd, 1925.

    Manufactured: in the mid to late 16th century possibly at Pounsley Furnace, Framfield in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: not known.

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

  2. 469

    lloyd_004.jpg
    ~817 x ~393 mm

    Description: Quasi-rectangular; edging formed of repeated bordered strip with undulating vine with fruit and leaves; horizontal line of two uneavenly repeated vine strips dividing the plate into two compartments, the upper comprising a grape bunch repeated eighteen times, the lower comprising a bird (probably a swan, a Lancastrian badge), its head turned to its left and one visible wing displayed and inverted, repeated five times with a grape bunch repeated twelve times at the ends and between each swan on the top and bottom of the compartment.

    Notes: The vine strip, swan and grape bunch stamps feature on many firebacks indicating a common source. Illustration from Lloyd, 1925.

    Manufactured: in the mid to late 16th century possibly at Pounsley Furnace, Framfield in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: not known.

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

  3. 474

    lower_3b.png
    >750 x ~750 mm

    Description: Fragment; arched rectangular shape with rounded corners; ovolo within fillet moulding all round; oval Tudor royal shield with garter surrounding, topped with a royal crown; dragon and greyhound supporters; initials split by crown; inscription on a fillet between legs of supporters, behind garter finial; motto on an Ionic plinth at bottom; left hand rectangular extension panel with twisted rope edging on top and side: initials in top left corner, ‘dragon’s head’ in top right corner, rose-en-soleil stamp in centre, rose stamp bottom centre.

    Notes: The letters on the extension panel are the same form and size as those on the top of the armorial pattern, indicating that they were added to the armorial, perhaps to indicate a change of reign. The letter 'E' has also been noted on another fireback of the same series. The rose-en-soleil was the badge of King Edward IV and, thus, a Yorkist symbol; it is seen on other firebacks. From a house in Chailey, Sussex. Illustration from Lower (1849).

    Inscription: E R / E / R / HONY SOIT QUE MAL Y PAYNCE / Made in Sussex by John Harvo / DV ET MOVN DR...

    Arms: Tudor royal

    Manufactured: in the mid to late 16th century 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).

    Citation: Lower, M. A., 1849, 'Iron Works of the County of Sussex', Sussex Archaeological Collections, 2, pp. 169-220 (esp. pp. 188-9).

  4. 473

    lower_4a.jpg
    ~857 x ~680 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; twisted rope edging (top and sides); in arch; rose and crown with dragon and lion supporters, above a fleur cross and a crowned shield bearing a small fleur-de-lys; text across top half, each word separated by two fleur terminals; lower left and right, twice repeated eight-pointed star design formed of twisted rope with fleur-de-lys terminals; bottom left, ‘I’; bottom right, ‘A’.

    Notes: A James Hide married Joan Blackefane at Horley, Surrey on 11th October 1579; illustrated in Lower, 1849 p. 217, when it was at Sutton Hurst, Barcombe, Sussex (still there in 1893, house since demolished). One of a series of distinctive firebacks cast in 1582, most with inscriptions dedicated to pairs of individuals; the initials IA may be of the founder as they appear in the same arrangement on other firebacks.

    Inscription: THES : IS FOR IAMES : / HIDE : AND : ION : HIS : WIF [W inverted] / 1582 / I A

    Manufactured: in 1582 possibly at Pounsley Furnace, Framfield 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).

    Citation: Lower, M. A., 1849, 'Iron Works of the County of Sussex', Sussex Archaeological Collections, 2, pp. 169-220 (esp. pp. 188-9).

  5. 1251

    mallams,_oxford_lot_94_22_feb_2023_630x630.jpg
    630 x 630 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; twisted rope edging (top and sides); 'concentric' arrangement of 29 'grape bunch' stamps inside the rope edging, a further six inside them horizontally at the top; within those, five lengths of an undulating vine strip angled approximately to fit the curved shape; within them, 24 'grape bunch' stamps, with a single vine strip inside them horizontally at the top and a further line of seven 'grape bunch' stamps horizontally below that; below them, another vine strip horizontally; below that four vine strips placed vertically interspersed with three columns of five 'grape bunch' stamps.

    Notes: Both the vine strips and the 'grape bunch' stamps are seen on other firebacks in the same series; the complexity of this arrangement of stamps is paralleled on a fireback recorded at Grayswood, Surrey (no. 72). Mallams auction, Oxford, 22 Feb 2023 lot 94 (£200).

    Manufactured: in the late 16th century possibly at Pounsley Furnace, Framfield in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: not known.

  6. 482

    maresfield,_putmans farm 02.jpg
    673 x 584 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; rope edging (top and sides); Tudor royal shield, garter, crown and supporters (crowned lion and dragon); date split by crown; lower right, initial formed of twisted rope with fleur-de-lys terminals; small fleur-de-lys stamp repeated 14 times across top edge and arch; fleur-de-lys cross repeated six times across lower part of plate.

    Notes: Identical arms can be seen on at least two other firebacks; minor variations in the position of individual elements indicate that the garter and shield, crown, and each supporter were separately stamped. The lack of definition in the decoration suggests that this is a copy made from an earlier casting.

    Inscription: 1595 / I H

    Arms: Tudor royal - Elizabeth I

    Manufactured: in 1595 possibly at Pounsley Furnace, Framfield in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: in private hands, Maresfield, East Sussex, England.

  7. 515

    penshurst_06.jpg
    1135 x 585 mm

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

    Notes: The armorial achievement is seen on other firebacks and was formed from four separate stamps (one example has the shield and garter inverted); the supporters are consistent with the date; the style of the numerals is uncharacteristic of the period. The same date in identical form is on a similar fireback at Groombridge Place, Speldhurst, Kent.

    Inscription: 1579 / HONE SOVT qVEY MAL Y PENSE

    Arms: Tudor royal

    Manufactured: in 1579 in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Penshurst Place, Penshurst, Kent, England.

  8. 1248

    plaistow,_quennell_house.jpg
    940 x 740 mm

    Description: Central arched rectangular shape with rounded corners; ovolo moulding all round; oval Tudor royal shield with garter surrounding, topped with a royal crown; dragon and greyhound supporters; initials split by crown; all details below shield illegible; rectangular extension panels on each side, with twisted rope edging; quasi mirrored arrangement of twisted rope lengths to form (from the top) a cross, a vertical pointing arrow, and a diamond shape with a central vertical line.

    Notes: The detail of the extension panel is sharper than the armorial, indicating that the panel was cast with a worn copy of the armorial. Illustrated in Weaver, 1914, p. 16.

    Inscription: E R [+ Garter, Harvo and royal mottoes, all illegible]

    Arms: Tudor royal (prob. Henry VIII)

    Manufactured: in the late 16th to early 17th century in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: in private hands, Plaistow, West Sussex, England.

    Citation: Weaver, L., 1914, Small Country Houses: their repair and enlargement (London, Country Life).

  9. 620

    ripley_034.jpg
    920 x 750 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape with rounded corners; ovolo within fillet moulding all round; oval Tudor royal shield with garter surrounding, topped with a royal crown; dragon and greyhound supporters; initials split by crown; inscription on a fillet between legs of supporters, behind garter finial; motto on an Ionic plinth at bottom; two rectangular side panels, each with a bird stamp (probably a swan, a Lancastrian badge) above a vine strip stamp repeated three times vertically.

    Notes: One of two known variants of the John Harvo fireback incorporating extension panels with vine strips and 'swans'; the positions of the swans vary slightly between the two variants.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: E R [+ Garter, Harvo and royal mottoes, all illegible]

    Arms: Tudor royal - prob. Edward VI

    Manufactured: in the mid to late 16th century possibly at Pounsley Furnace, Framfield in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Mark Ripley Forge & Fireplaces, Northbridge Street, Robertsbridge, East Sussex, England.

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

  10. 662

    rolvenden,_hole park 06.jpg
    910 x 610 mm

    Description: Rectangular; fillet edging (top and sides, except c.100mm at bottom of each side); arrangement of a circular butter print with fleur de lys design, repeated four times: one in each top corner, and two evenly spaced across the middle of the plate; a single circular butter print stamp with a heart-shaped design in the middle top position.

    Notes: The fleur de lys stamp can also be seen on a fireback at Nymans, Handcross (no. 96); one of the Pounsley series of firebacks.

    Manufactured: in the mid to late 16th century possibly at Pounsley Furnace, Framfield in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Hole Park, Rolvenden, Kent, England.

    Citation: Hodgkinson, J. S., 2012, 'Pre-Restoration Iron Firebacks', Journal of the Antique Metalware Society, 20, pp. 2-15.