Firebacks

Description: Composite; canted arched rectangular shape; armorial fireback, cavetto edging, with Stuart Royal arms, garter, supporters, crown and motto, and 1620 date above crown; this overlies a canted rectangular plate, with twisted rope edging, fillet; two quasi-horizontal fillets from the tops of the vertical sides to the middle of the armorial fireback separate the back into two uneven parts, the date in the top part, split by the armorial, and a fleur-de-lys at the top of the lower part, also separated by the armorial.

Notes: The use of the armorial back is seen frequently and probably dates from 1619, though the date is usually altered; in this case the alteration does not match the more prominent date for the fireback; photograph ex T. Crowther & Son Ltd, 1985.

Inscription: 16 29 / HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE / 16 37 / DIEV ET MON DROIT

Arms: English Stuart royal

Description: Arched rectangular shape with small rhomboidal flanges in the corners of the arch, the top of the arch comprising two opposing loops; cavetto moulded edging; crowned circular shield within a Garter of the Stuart royal arms of England with crowned lion and unicorn supporters.

Notes: One of several variations of the arms of the Stuart royal dynasty on firebacks. Duke's auctioneers, Dorchester, Dorset, 10 Jun 2025, lot 9.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: [Garter and royal mottoes illegible]

Arms: English Stuart royal

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 )

Description: Arched rectangle; cavetto moulded edging; garter enclosing Stuart royal arms, crown, crowned lion and unicorn supporters and motto; initials in top corners.

Notes: The crown is not typically English in form, suggesting that the patternmaker may have been of foreign extraction.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: C R / [Garter motto - illeg.]

Arms: English Stuart royal

Description: Arched rectangular shape; twisted rope edging; central shield, garter, supporters, motto and crown; date in arch; initials 'I R' (Iacobus Rex) separated by crown; initials 'R T' separated by supporters, and level with other initials; fleur-de-lys stamp repeated 16 times, one each side of date, two on each shoulder of plate, five down each side.

Notes: A naively carved armorial of James I (VI of Scotland). The initials 'RT' are likely to be those of the person who commissioned the fireback. A fireback with an identical armorial, supporters and royal initials, dated 1633, was recorded by Alfred Watkins at Fawley Court, Brockhampton, Herefordshire, before 1918 (but now no longer in situ).

Inscription: 1611 / R I R T / HONY SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE / [motto illegible]

Arms: English Stuart royal

Description: Composite; arched rectangular shaped, armorial fireback, cavetto edging, with Stuart Royal arms, garter, supporters, crown and motto, and 1639 date above crown; this overlies a rectangular plate with fillet edging; top centre in the space each side of the central shield, an initial letter - W to left, C to right.

Notes: One of several variants using a fireback with the English Stuart royal arms, the date probably altered according to when it was cast. The original date of the fireback was probably 1619. Garth's Auctioneers, Columbus, OH, 3 Jan 2015, lot 2347 ($300).

Inscription: 1639 / W C

Arms: English Stuart royal

Description: Arched rectangular shape; Greek Key border with fillet edges; in high relief, in front of swagged drapery, the shield of, quarterly, France quartering England, Scotland and Ireland, surrounded by a Garter, and surmounted by a ducal coronet; below, the inscription in capitals.

Notes: The use of the Greek Key design as a border is believed to be unique for an English fireback. Although somewhat indistinct, the use of the Stuart royal arms and the ducal coronet can be explained by the fact that the fireback was one of a group cast for the 2nd Duke of Richmond, whose father, the 1st duke, was the illegitimate son of Charles II and Louise de Kéroualle. The Richmond arms were differenced from the Stuart royal arms by the addition of a bordure compony (the detail of which is not distinct on this casting). Sowley Furnace, near Beaulieu in Hampshire, was owned in 1732 by John, 2nd Duke of Montagu, and was let to Miles Troughton. An identical fireback also at Goodwood is dated 1731 and a similar, but smaller, variant of this fireback, is dated 1732.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE / SOWLEY MDCCXXX

Arms: Duke of Richmond

Description: Arched rectangular; cavetto-moulded edging, invected on the inner edge; English royal Stuart shield, garter, crown, supporters and motto; monogram to right of unicorn supporter.

Notes: The monogram probably identifies the pattern-maker, whose invected edging seems to be a distinctive style.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE / RN / DIEV ET MON DROIT

Arms: English Stuart royal

Description: Rectangle with flattened ogee arch; ovolo, simulated rope edging; shield, garter, helm, mantling, crown and supporters (crowned lion and unicorn) of the English royal house of Stuart; motto across base

Notes: A variation of a type, dated 1618, noted at Burwash, Sussex.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: DIEU ET MON DROIT

Arms: English Stuart royal

Description: Arched rectangular shaped; paternost bead edging (top and sides); Stuart royal arms: shield, garter, helm, crown, crest, supporters and motto; date split between top corners; initials split beneath supporters.

Notes: Firebacks with royal arms attributable to the reign of James II are, inevitably, uncommon owing to the brevity of his reign. Paternost beads are more usually found as edging on ‘Dutch’ types of fireback. A polychrome casting of this fireback is displayed as the royal arms in St James's church in North Cray, Kent.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: 1687 /HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE / I R / DIEU ET MON DROIT

Arms: English Stuart royal (James II)