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472
Description: Rectangular with central triangular arch; twisted rope edging (top and sides); in arch, on top, a small cross with fleur terminals, above a rose and crown with dragon and lion supporters, above two crowned shields each bearing a small fleur-de-lys; text across top half, split by the crowned shields, each word separated by two fleur terminals; across the lower part, four crowned shields each with a fleur-de-lys; fleur crosses at ends of first and third lines; bottom left, ‘I’; bottom right, ‘A’.
Notes: No record of Thomas Unstead or his wife has been found, to date; illustrated in Lower, 1849 p. 189; formerly at Misfield [Miswell], Worth, Sussex. One of a series of distinctive firebacks cast in 1582, most with inscriptions relating to pairs of individuals; the initials IA may be of the founder as they appear in the same arrangement on other firebacks.
Inscription: THOMAS VNSTE / ADIS : FILD AND DINIS / HIS : WIF: ANO : DOMINO: / 1582 / I A
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular with triangular arch (shape)
- carved stamps
- individual letters
- individual numbers
- heraldic
- text
Manufactured: in 1582 possibly at Pounsley Furnace, Framfield in the Weald area of England.
Current location:.
- Attached to series:
- Pounsley series
- 1582 IA series
- Fleur rope terminal series
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474
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
- Decoration tags:
- extended quasi-arched rectangular (shape)
- complex individual (edging)
- carved stamps
- whole carved pattern
- individual letters
- armorial
- royal
- text
- animals
- plants
Manufactured: in the mid 16th century possibly at Pounsley Furnace, Framfield in the Weald area of England.
Current location:.
- Attached to series:
- Pounsley series
- John Harvo series
- Rose-en-soleil series
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473
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). One of a series of distinctive firebacks cast in 1582, most with inscriptions relating 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
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- carved stamps
- individual letters
- individual numbers
- heraldic
- text
- objects
Manufactured: in 1582 possibly at Pounsley Furnace, Framfield in the Weald area of England.
Current location:.
- Attached to series:
- Pounsley series
- 1582 IA series
- Fleur rope terminal series
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1251
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).
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- simple stamps
- carved stamps
- objects
Manufactured: in the late 16th century possibly at Pounsley Furnace, Framfield in the Weald area of England.
Current location:, England.
- Attached to series:
- Pounsley series
- Vine strip series
- Furniture stamp firebacks
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482
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 recast plate.
Inscription: 1595 / I H
Arms: Tudor royal - Elizabeth I
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- carved stamps
- armorial
- royal
- text
Manufactured: in 1595 possibly at Pounsley Furnace, Framfield in the Weald area of England.
Current location: in private hands, Maresfield, East Sussex, England.
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515
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
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- carved stamps
- date stamp
- armorial
- royal
- text
Manufactured: in 1579 in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Penshurst Place, Penshurst, Kent, England.
- Attached to series:
- Pounsley series
- Tudor royal armorial firebacks
- Tudor redated series
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1248
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)
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular with curved shoulders (shape)
- rope and ovolo moulding (edging)
- simple stamps
- whole carved pattern
- extension panels
- heraldic
- apotropaic
- armorial
- royal
- text
- objects
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).
- Attached to series:
- Pounsley series
- John Harvo series
- Tudor royal armorial firebacks
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620
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
- Decoration tags:
- extended quasi-arched rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- simple stamps
- carved stamps
- whole carved pattern
- individual letters
- extension panels
- heraldic
- armorial
- royal
- text
- animals
- objects
Manufactured: in the mid 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.
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662
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; one of the Pounsley series of firebacks.
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- simple stamps
- objects
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.
- Attached to series:
- Pounsley series
- Food mould stamp firebacks
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368
Description: Canted rectangle; twisted rope edging (top and sides); Tudor royal shield within a Garter, supported by lion and dragon stamps, a crown above, between separate ‘E’ and ‘R’ stamps; fleur de lys stamp irregularly repeated four times below right and to left of lion.
Notes: The shield, garter and crown stamps appear on many firebacks, usually with left-facing lion and greyhound supporters; the presence of the shield and crown indicate the fireback is derived from the same source; the supporter stamps, which are over-pressed, are clearly derived from blocks intended to represent standing models. Formerly at Kirby Frith Hall, Leicestershire. Illustration from Schubert, 1957, pl. 7.
Inscription: HONE SOYT qVEY MAL Y PENSE
Arms: Tudor royal - Edward VI or Elizabeth I
- Decoration tags:
- canted rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- carved stamps
- individual letters
- heraldic
- armorial
- royal
- text
Manufactured: in the mid to late 16th century possibly at Pounsley Furnace, Framfield in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Newarke Houses, Leicester, Leicestershire, England.
Museum number: H.101.1930.0 (part of the Leicester City Museums museum group)