Firebacks

Stuart royal armorial firebacks

50 results

  1. 666

    rolvenden,_squires 01.jpg
    615 x 590 mm

    Description: Inclined rectangle with ogee arch; fillet and ogee moulded edging; garter enclosing English Stuart royal arms, with supporters, helm, crest, mantling and motto.

    Notes: Standard armorial design; the inclined shape is uncommon.

    Inscription: [Garter motto illegible] DIEV ET MON DROIT

    Arms: English Stuart royal

    Manufactured: in the 17th century in England.

    Current location: in private hands, Rolvenden, Kent, England.

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

  2. 350

    sevenoaks,_knole 05a.jpg
    1080 x 875 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; cavetto edging; armorial; Stuart English royal arms within a circular garter; crown, motto and supporters (crowned lion and unicorn); initials separated by crown.

    Notes: An early casting of a widely copied fireback.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: C R / HONI SOI T·QVI·MAL·Y· PENSE / DIEU ET MON DROIT

    Arms: English Stuart royal (prob. Charles II)

    Manufactured: in the mid to late 17th century in England.

    Current location: Knole, Sevenoaks, Kent, England.

    (part of the National Trust museum group)

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

  3. 998

    shuffrey_(1912) pl 66 brede place a.jpg
    ? x ? mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; fillet edging with a wider fillet within upon which are regularly-spaced beads each set on disc and joined by a thin line; shield, Garter, helm, mantling, crown and lion crest, with crowned lion and unicorn supporters; metal strapping around main rectangle.

    Notes: A damaged example with unusual supporting bands. Formerly at Brede Place, East Sussex.

    Inscription: HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE

    Arms: English Stuart royal

    Manufactured: in the early to mid 17th century possibly in the Weald area of England.

    Current location:, not known.

    Citation: Shuffrey, L. A., 1912, The English Fireplace, London, Batsford.

  4. 348

    tiverton_castle_02.jpg
    940 x 770 mm

    Description: Composite; Arched rectangular shaped, armorial fireback, cavetto edging, with Stuart Royal arms, garter, supporters, crown and motto, and 1662 date above crown; this overlies a rectangular plate, with rope-effect, fillet edging; a pattern of four rosettes surrounding a fleur-de-lys, its stem terminating in a small buckle, is repeated on each side of the central armorial fireback, with the initials above; each rosette is stamped separately.

    Notes: A variant, bearing the same date, but the initials, A B, and without the rosettes, is at Norton Manor, Malmesbury, Wiltshire.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: 16 62 / C P / HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE / DIEV·ET·MON DROIT

    Arms: English Stuart royal

    Manufactured: in 1662 possibly in the Forest of Dean area of England.

    Current location: Tiverton Castle, Tiverton, Devon, England.

    (part of the Colchester & Ipswich Museums Service museum group)

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

  5. 253

    unknown_65 762 x 686.jpg
    762 x 686 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; cavetto moulded edging; garter enclosing Stuart royal arms, with supporters, crown and motto; date split either side of garter buckle; rectangular extension panel at bottom.

    Notes: An altered casting from a 1641 original, the last part of the date having disproportionate numerals; often copied. Probably an original casting.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: C R / HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE / 16 64 / DIEV ET MON DROIT

    Arms: English Stuart royal

    Manufactured: in 1664 possibly 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).

  6. 749

    va_25.jpg
    680 x 570 mm

    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 commonly copied variant has the intials, IT, at the top; one vertical plank-line on right side.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: 1635 / C R / HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE / DIEV ET MON DROIT

    Arms: English Stuart royal - Charles I

    Manufactured: in 1635 possibly in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, Kensington & Chelsea, Greater London, England.

    Museum number: 795.1896 (part of the Victoria & Albert Museum museum group)

    Citation: Anon., 2 Dec 1905, 'Old Kent and Sussex Fire-backs', Country Life, pp. 767-768.

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

  7. 751

    va_27.jpg
    560 x 430 mm

    Description: Rectangular, cavetto moulded edging; Stuart royal shield, garter, supporters and crown.

    Notes: One clear vertical plank line indicate that the pattern for this fireback was formed of a series of boards probably secured by horizontal battens on the rear.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE

    Arms: English Stuart royal

    Manufactured: in the mid to late 17th century in England.

    Current location: Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, Kensington & Chelsea, Greater London, England.

    Museum number: 432.1896 (part of the Victoria & Albert Museum museum group)

  8. 794

    winchelsea,_wickham manor 05.jpg
    680 x 704 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; probable ovolo-moulded edging; Stuart royal arms of England (quarterly, 1st and 4th, France and England, 2nd Scotland and 3rd Ireland) with garter, crown, crest, motto and supporters.

    Notes: A poor recasting, obscuring most of the detail.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: [illegible]

    Arms: English Stuart royal

    Manufactured: in the 17th century in England.

    Current location: Wickham Manor Farm, Winchelsea, East Sussex, England.

    Museum number: NT/WMF/M/031 (part of the National Trust museum group)

  9. 795

    winchester_museum store 03.jpg
    757 x 600 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; cavetto-moulded edging; English royal Stuart shield, garter, crown, supporters and motto; initials split by crown.

    Notes: The arches of the crown are not typically English in form, suggesting a possibly continental pattern-maker.

    Inscription: C R / HONI SOIT QVI MAL ...PEN...

    Arms: English Stuart royal

    Manufactured: in the 17th century possibly in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Winchester Museums Store, Unit F2, Bar End Industrial Estate, Winchester, Hampshire, Winchester, Hampshire, England.

    Museum number: WINCM:LH 3737 (part of the Winchester Museums museum group)

  10. 254

    wrangle,_youngs_antiques_a.jpg
    910 x 815 mm

    Description: Curved ogee-arched rectangular with egg and dart moulding along top, supported by Ionic pilasters; English Stuart royal shield, garter, helm, crown, motto and supporters; date below and either side of garter.

    Notes: One of several firebacks, all of the same date, but varying in size, framing style and moulding; all have stylistic features in common and will have been the work of the same pattern maker, who was also responsible for carving royal coats of arms in three West Country churches.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: HONI + SOIT + QVI + MAL + Y + PENSE / 16 18

    Arms: English Stuart royal (James I)

    Manufactured: in 1618 possibly in the Forest of Dean 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: Hodgkinson, J. S., 2017, 'Church Armorials and Firebacks: Evidence of an Early 17th-Century Woodcarver', Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society, 135, pp. 213-223.