-
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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171
Description: Quasi-rectangular with raised symmetrical scrolls between semi-circular re-entrants on top edge; ovolo-moulded edge on bottom and sides, with fillet edging on top; grotesque face with swirled hair locks, above an inverted floral spike, between two moustachioed male figures in tunics, holding pikes, standing on a cavetto-moulded compartment, date beneath.
Notes: Alleged to represent the 'Brede Ogre', Sir Goddard Oxenbridge (1478-1531) who, legend states, was sawn in half by local children. Stylistically similar to other firebacks with connections with Brede furnace.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: 16 52
- Decoration tags:
- quasi-rectangular (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- individual numbers
- pictorial
- text
- humans
Manufactured: in 1652 probably at Brede furnace in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Hastings Museum and Art Gallery, Hastings, East Sussex, England.
Museum number: 924.42 (part of the Hastings Museum museum group)
Citation: Butterfield, W. R., 10 Mar 1934, 'The Brede Ogre', Hastings and St Leonards Observer.
Citation: Manwaring Baines, J., 1958, Wealden Firebacks (Hastings Museum)
- Attached to series:
- Hooked '1' series
- Brede group
-
354
Description: Quasi-arched rectangular shaped; unique, cavetto moulded edging, which loops upon itself three times. A mythical salamander shown in the flames which legend states it is able to resist; behind is what appears to be a palm tree, on either side of which the date is stamped. Two plank-lines.
Notes: Whole pattern with added date; one of a series of firebacks where the number ‘1’ is hooked at both ends. A variant, at Lewes, is incorrectly dated 1550.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: 1650
- Decoration tags:
- quasi-arched rectangular (shape)
- cavetto (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- individual numbers
- planklines
- pictorial
- mythological
- text
- animals
Manufactured: in 1650 possibly at Brede furnace in the Weald area of England.
Current location: East Riddlesden Hall, Keighley, Yorkshire, England.
Museum number: NT/ERH/M/40 (part of the National Trust museum group)
Citation: Schubert, H. R., 1957, 'A Forgery in Iron', Journal of the Iron & Steel Institute, 165, p. 125.
- Attached to series:
- Hooked '1' series
- Loop edged firebacks
- Brede group
-
407
Description: Quasi-arched rectangular shaped; unique, cavetto moulded edging, which loops upon itself three times. A mythical salamander shown in the flames which legend states it is able to resist; behind is what appears to be a palm tree, on either side of which the date is stamped.
Notes: The fireback has been incorrectly dated 1550 instead of 1650, which Schubert asserted was a forgery claiming indications that a ‘6’ had been erased. Undoubtedly the '6' is more prominent than the other figures though the exact method by which it has been substituted is not clear.
Inscription: 1550
- Decoration tags:
- quasi-arched rectangular (shape)
- cavetto (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- individual numbers
- pictorial
- mythological
- text
- animals
Manufactured: in 1650 possibly at Brede furnace in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Anne of Cleves House, Southover High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, England.
Museum number: LH000.901 (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)
Citation: Dawson, C., 1903, 'Sussex Iron Work and Pottery', Sussex Archaeological Collections, 46, pp. 1-54.
Citation: Schubert, H. R., 1957, 'A Forgery in Iron', Journal of the Iron & Steel Institute, 165, p. 125.
Citation: Starkie Gardner, J., 1898, 'Iron Casting in the Weald', Archaeologia, 56, 1, pp. 133-164.
- Attached to series:
- Hooked '1' series
- Loop edged firebacks
- Brede group
-
408
Description: Arched rectangular shape; cavetto moulded edge all round; holes pierced in top corners; a fouled anchor with one fluke resting on the base, a scroll below each top corner, foliage above the text, which is above the anchor; the initials either side of the lower fluke.
Notes: The inscription is a quotation from Psalms 139, v. 1: ‘Domine, probasti me et cognovisti me’ (Lord, thou hast searched me and known me).
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: PROBASTI / ME / I M 16 5[0?]
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- cavetto (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- individual numbers
- planklines
- pictorial
- biblical
- text
- objects
Manufactured: in the mid 17th century possibly at Brede furnace in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Anne of Cleves House, Southover High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, England.
Museum number: LH000.908 (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)
Citation: Dawson, C., 1903, 'Sussex Iron Work and Pottery', Sussex Archaeological Collections, 46, pp. 1-54.
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459
Description: Arched rectangular shape; fillet edging; shield, helm, crest and mantling of the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths; date in top corners; initials at bottom, below mantling.
Notes: One of the hooked ‘1’ series; unevenly impressed, the right more deeply than the left.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: 16 50 / I M
Arms: Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- armorial
- text
Manufactured: in 1650 possibly at Brede furnace in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Anne of Cleves House, Southover High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, England.
Museum number: 1933.34.046 (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)
Citation: Dawson, C., 1903, 'Sussex Iron Work and Pottery', Sussex Archaeological Collections, 46, pp. 1-54.
Citation: Starkie Gardner, J., 1898, 'Iron Casting in the Weald', Archaeologia, 56, 1, pp. 133-164.
- Attached to series:
- Livery company firebacks
- Hooked '1' series
- Brede group
-
817
Description: Arched rectangular shape; fillet edging; shield, helm, crest and mantling of the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths (see Fig. 3); date in top corners; initials at bottom, below mantling; two planklines.
Notes: One of the hooked ‘1’ series; a copy from an evenly impressed original.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: 16 50 / I M
Arms: Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- planklines
- armorial
- text
Manufactured: in 1650 possibly at Brede furnace in the Weald area of England.
Current location: in private hands, Mayfield, East Sussex, England.
- Attached to series:
- Hooked '1' series
- Livery company firebacks
- Brede group
-
512
Description: Double arched rectangular shaped; ovolo edging; central clock dial with Roman numerals separated by stops, sunburst inside, single hand with fleur de lys pointer; teardrop weights, with finials above, suspended from each side; symmetrical tendrils above; date split below dial.
Notes: One of the ‘hooked 1’ series of firebacks; two versions exist of this fireback, the other without finials above the suspended weights.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: I · II · III · IIII · V · VI · VII · VIII · IX · X · XI · XII / 16 5 [..]
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular with stepped arch (shape)
- ovolo (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- pictorial
- text
- objects
Manufactured: in 1652 possibly at Brede furnace in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Penshurst Place, Penshurst, Kent, England.
Citation: Starkie Gardner, J., 1898, 'Iron Casting in the Weald', Archaeologia, 56, 1, pp. 133-164.
- Attached to series:
- Hooked '1' series
- Brede group
-
891
Description: Quasi-arched rectangular shaped; unique, cavetto-moulded edging, which loops upon itself three times. A mythical salamander shown in the flames which legend states it is able to resist; behind is what appears to be a palm tree.
Notes: Other known variants are dated; this variant confirms that the dates were added to subsequent castings.
- Decoration tags:
- quasi-arched rectangular (shape)
- cavetto (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- pictorial
- mythological
- animals
Manufactured: in the mid 17th century possibly at Brede furnace in the Weald area of England.
Current location: in private hands, Pimlico, London, England.
Citation: Schubert, H. R., 1957, 'A Forgery in Iron', Journal of the Iron & Steel Institute, 165, p. 125.
- Attached to series:
- Hooked '1' series
- Loop edged firebacks
- Brede group
-
589
Description: Double arched rectangular shaped; ovolo edging; central clock dial with Roman numerals separated by stops, sunburst inside, single hand with fleur de lys pointer; teardrop weights suspended from each side; symmetrical tendrils above.
Notes: One of the ‘hooked 1’ series of firebacks - the number ‘1’ is just discernable bottom left; two versions exist of this fireback, the other having finials above the suspended weights.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: I · II · III · IIII · V · VI · VII · VIII · IX · X · XI · XII / 16...
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular with stepped arch (shape)
- ovolo (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- text
- objects
Manufactured: in the mid 17th century possibly at Brede furnace in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Ham House, Richmond, Surrey, England.
Museum number: NT/HAM/XX/215 (part of the National Trust museum group)
- Attached to series:
- Hooked '1' series
- Brede group