Firebacks

James II royal armorial firebacks

  1. 92

    hampton_court 05.jpg
    890 x 710 mm
    Image subject to copyright

    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)

    Manufactured: in 1687 possibly in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Hampton Court, Richmond, Greater London, England.

    Museum number: 1010 (part of the Royal Collection museum group)

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