Firebacks

Shape: rectangular

293 results

  1. 398

    lewes,_sussex arch soc 032.jpg
    755 x 490 mm
    Image subject to copyright

    Description: Rectangular; cyma curve and fillet edging; crowned Tudor rose within a pediment resting on Tuscan pilasters and pedestals.

    Notes: The rose and crown are more finely modelled than other versions.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Manufactured: in the mid to late 16th century in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Anne of Cleves House, Southover High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, England.

    Museum number: LH000.942 (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)

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

  2. 420

    lewes,_sussex arch soc 055.jpg
    580 x 460 mm
    Image subject to copyright

    Description: Rectanglular; flanged cavetto-moulded edging; pictorial scene of Christ and the woman of Samaria at Jacob's Well.

    Notes: Stoveplate; the scene illustrates the story from John 4.

    Manufactured: in the late 16th to early 17th century possibly in the Eifel area of Germany.

    Current location: Anne of Cleves House, Southover High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, England.

    Museum number: LH000.797 (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)

    Citation: Dawson, C., 1903, 'Sussex Iron Work and Pottery', Sussex Archaeological Collections, 46, pp. 1-54.

  3. 421

    lewes,_sussex arch soc 056.jpg
    950 x 550 mm
    Image subject to copyright

    Description: Rectangular; flanged edge; central pictorial panel illustrating Mordecai arriving before King Ahasuerus, Haman hanging from the gallows behind; two floral side panels, at the top of each a monogram within a cartouche: on the left KS, on the right H?D.

    Notes: Stoveplate; the scene illustrates a scene from Esther 7: 10 and 8: 1. Formerly part of the J. H. Every collection.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: KS H[?]D

    Manufactured: in the late 16th to early 17th century possibly in the Eifel area of Germany.

    Current location: Anne of Cleves House, Southover High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, England.

    Museum number: 1944.24.040 (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)

  4. 431

    lewes,_sussex arch soc 067b.jpg
    1215 x 560 mm
    Image subject to copyright

    Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging (top and sides); undulating vine strip repeated in a line four times along the top, and four times vertically on each side of central inscription panel, with shorter vine strip repeated below vertical strips on each side.

    Notes: One of several firebacks that re-use the memorial inscription to 'Ane Forster' (Anne Foster) of Crowhurst, Surrey. The vine strip stamp is seen on other firebacks. The excrescence obscuring part of the text was probably the result of clumsy pouring of the iron during casting which displaced some of the sand mould.

    Inscription: HER:LIETH:ANE:FORST / R:DAVGHTER:AND: / HEYR:TO:THOMAS: / GAYNSFORD:ESQVIER / DECEASED:XVIII:OF: / IANVARI:1591:LEAVYNG / BEHIND:HER:II:SONES: / AND:V:DAVGHTERS

    Manufactured: in the late 16th century possibly at Pounsley Furnace, Framfield in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Hall Place, Bexley, Kent, England.

    Museum number: LH000.904 (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)

    Citation: Hodgkinson, J. S., 2018, 'The Anne Forster Firebacks', Surrey Archaeological Collections, 101, 99-114.

  5. 432

    lewes,_sussex arch soc 068.jpg
    850 x 653 mm
    Image subject to copyright

    Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging; top centre, inscription panel.

    Notes: One of several firebacks that re-use the memorial inscription to 'Ane Forster' (Anne Foster) of Crowhurst, Surrey. Formerly in the John H. Every collection, for which it was purchased in 1921 in Broadway, Worcs., having allegedly come from Billingshurst, Sussex.

    Inscription: HER:LIETH:ANE:FORST / R:DAVGHTER:AND: / HEYR:TO:THOMAS: / GAYNSFORD:ESQVIER / DECEASED:XVIII:OF: / IANVARI:1591:LEAVYNG / BEHIND:HER:II:SONES: / AND:V:DAVGHTERS

    Manufactured: in the late 16th century possibly at Pounsley Furnace, Framfield in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Anne of Cleves House, Southover High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, England.

    Museum number: Shoreham 92/1900 (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)

    Citation: Hodgkinson, J. S., 2018, 'The Anne Forster Firebacks', Surrey Archaeological Collections, 101, 99-114.

  6. 434

    lewes,_sussex arch soc 072.jpg
    533 x 590 mm
    Image subject to copyright

    Description: Damaged; rectangle, flanged edging; two vertical panels, each with a row of lancet arches along the top: on right, robed figure with a crown, head tilted to left, left hand raised in benediction, right hand holding a chalice, standing on a bracket; on right, similar figure facing forward.

    Notes: Stoveplate. Similar plates suggest these may be two of the Magi.

    Manufactured: in the early 16th century in the Eifel area of Germany.

    Current location: Anne of Cleves House, Southover High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, England.

    Museum number: LH000.795 (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: Lower, M. A., 1866, 'The Antiquities preserved in the Museum of Lewes Castle', Sussex Archaeological Collections, 18, pp. 60-73.

  7. 435

    lewes,_sussex arch soc 075.jpg
    1206 x 545 mm
    Image subject to copyright

    Description: Rectangular (damaged top left corner); plain plate; centre top, a circle of twisted rope enclosing a shield, indented at the top, charged with a bird upon a branch; on each side, a cross of twisted rope above two splayed lengths of rope.

    Notes: The rope design is likely to be apotropaic; the heavily pitted reverse of this fireback shows the use of poor quality iron cast at a relatively low temperature; the bird shield stamp has been seen on other firebacks.

    Manufactured: in the early to mid 16th century in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Anne of Cleves House, Southover High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, England.

    (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)

    Citation: Easton, T. & Hodgkinson, J. S., 2013, 'Apotropaic Symbols on Cast-Iron Firebacks', Jnl. of the Antique Metalware Soc., 21, pp. 14-33.

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

  8. 436

    lewes,_sussex arch soc 076c.jpg
    918 x 628 mm
    Image subject to copyright

    Description: Rectangular; carved moulding edging; centre, inscription panel; undulating vine strip stamp repeated thirteen times to form an inner border along each side of the inscription panel.

    Notes: The only fireback of the Anne Forster series to have edging formed from wooden moulding probably from dismantled furniture or panelling. Given to the Sussex Archaeological Society in 1850 by Sir Henry Shiffner Bt., of Coombe Place, Hamsey, Sussex. A former occupant of his burnt-out estate cottage, where it had been found, was said to have been a Miss Forster.

    Inscription: HER:LIETH:ANE:FORST / R:DAVGHTER:AND: / HEYR:TO:THOMAS: / GAYNSFORD:ESQVIER / DECEASED:XVIII:OF: / IANVARI:1591:LEAVYNG / BEHIND:HER:II:SONES: / AND:V:DAVGHTERS

    Manufactured: in the late 16th century possibly at Pounsley Furnace, Framfield in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Anne of Cleves House, Southover High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, England.

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

    Citation: Hodgkinson, J. S., 2018, 'The Anne Forster Firebacks', Surrey Archaeological Collections, 101, 99-114.

    Citation: Lower, M. A., 1852, 'Monumental iron slab of Anne Forster', Sussex Archaeological Collections, 5, pp. 202-4.

  9. 442

    lewes,_sussex arch soc 082.jpg
    >680 x 740 mm
    Image subject to copyright

    Description: Fragment: right part only; rectangular; twisted rope edging; lion passant with rose stamped twice above and below rear end, crowned rose below fore end; bottom right corner, two small walking figures, one with both arms down, the other with right arm raised.

    Notes: One of a series with the same and other stamps.

    Manufactured: in the mid 16th century in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Anne of Cleves House, Southover High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, England.

    Museum number: LH001.005 (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)

    Citation: Hodgkinson, J. S., 2022, 'A Tudor Fireback Stamp: the progressive deterioration of its condition as evidence of the relative age of castings', Journal of the Antique Metalware Society, 27, pp. 42-5.

  10. 444

    lewes,_sussex arch soc 084.jpg
    812 x 480 mm
    Image subject to copyright

    Description: Rectangular; top and side edging formed from the repeated stamping of a short length of twisted rope; three gothic panels arranged horizontally, the centre one wider than the other two, each panel a symmetrical arrangement of tracery patterns with an inverted ogee arch on top incorporating two flowers; a separate fleur-de-lys stamp has been repeated above each panel.

    Notes: The panels were probably derived from a dismantled wooden chest or hutch table, c.1500. Their gothic style belies the probable age of the fireback, such chests already being old when their parts might have been re-used. The same panels are on a fireback at Nymans, Handcross.

    Manufactured: in the early to mid 16th century in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: East Grinstead Museum, East Grinstead, West Sussex, England.

    Museum number: LH000.796 (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)

    Citation: Butterfield, W. R., 1916, 'Old Wealden Firebacks', The Connoisseur, 46, pp. 197-209.

    Citation: Christy, M., 30 May 1908, 'The Old Flat Hearth and its Appliances, III - The Fire-back', The Crown, The Court and County Families' Newspaper, XCIX, Vol. 8, No. 9, pp. 383-6.

    Citation: Dawson, C., 1903, 'Sussex Iron Work and Pottery', Sussex Archaeological Collections, 46, pp. 1-54.

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