Firebacks

Shape: rectangular

329 results

  1. 436

    lewes,_sussex arch soc 076c.jpg
    918 x 628 mm

    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.

  2. 437

    lewes,_sussex arch soc 077a.jpg
    960 x 695 mm

    Description: Sub-rectangular; twisted rope edging (top and sides); centre, straight length of twisted material (rope or metal) stamped eight times to form an octagram, and twice on each side to form saltires.

    Notes: The octagram has magical symbolism, allegedly providing protection against evil. Formerly part of the J. H. Every collection. Illustration from Schubert, 1957.

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

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

    Museum number: 1944.24.038 (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)

    Citation: Mercer, H. C., 1961, The Bible in Iron (3rd ed. Doylestown, The Bucks County Historical Society).

    Citation: Schubert, H. R., 1957, History of the British Iron and Steel Industry (London, Routledge), pp. 256-264.

  3. 441

    lewes,_sussex arch soc 081.jpg
    695 x 780 mm

    Description: Sub-rectangular; edged with a repeated length of helically-turned dowel (top and sides); apparently random arrangement of same piece of dowel repeated ten times, including a saltire and cross.

    Notes: Apart from the Christian significance of the cross, the other arrangements of rope lengths may be apotropaic in their purpose, the double V being a possible invocation of the Virgin. The blemishes at the base are caused by the casting sand being disturbed by the pouring of the metal.

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

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

    Museum number: LH000.799 (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)

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

    Citation: Gardner, J. S., 1898, 'Iron Casting in the Weald', Archaeologia, 56, 1, pp. 133-164.

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

  4. 442

    lewes,_sussex arch soc 082.jpg
    >680 x 740 mm

    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.

  5. 444

    lewes,_sussex arch soc 084.jpg
    812 x 480 mm

    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).

  6. 447

    lewes,_sussex arch soc 087.jpg
    912 x 568 mm

    Description: Rectangular; ovolo-moulded edging; inscription across top of plate, numerals, except '2', larger than letters, 'A' raised above 'I' and 'M'.

    Notes: A late, and rather unsophisticated example of the use of individual stamps.

    Inscription: 17 IAM 32

    Manufactured: in 1732 in the Weald area of England.

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

    Museum number: LH000.950 (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).

  7. 448

    lewes,_sussex arch soc 088a.jpg
    1025 x 585 mm

    Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging (top and sides); fleur de lys arranged in a pattern of 20, in three rows: 7-6-7.

    Notes: A type of fleur-de-lys used on firebacks possibly cast at Pounsley Furnace.

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

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

    Museum number: 1944.24.039 (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)

  8. 450

    lewes,_sussex arch soc 090.jpg
    1067 x 622 mm

    Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging; central crowned Tudor shield with lion passant guardant sinister to the left, and lion passant to right; four-petalled rose in right and left corners; crowned, barbed, four-petalled rose below shield.

    Notes: One of a large series bearing some or all of the same stamps.

    Arms: Tudor royal arms of England

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

    Current location: Barbican House, High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, England.

    Museum number: LH000.800 (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., 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.

  9. 451

    lewes,_sussex arch soc 091.jpg
    1820 x 630 mm

    Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging (top and sides); basic arrangement of crowned Tudor rose above a crowned Tudor royal shield, all between a crowned lion passant guardant sinister and lion passant, both per bend, repeated on both halves of the plate; irregularly arranged, mainly along the top and bottom, are sixteen small figures, alternately with right arm raised or lowered; bottom left and centre right are two different arrangements of a length of twisted rope in 'V' and 'I'.

    Notes: The stamps used on this large fireback are encountered on several firebacks indicating their common source; previously at Legh Manor, Cuckfield, Sussex.

    Arms: Tudor royal arms of England

    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: LH000.937 (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).

    Citation: Hodgkinson, J. S., 2012, 'Pre-Restoration Iron Firebacks', Journal of the Antique Metalware Society, 20, pp. 2-15.

    Citation: Schubert, H. R., 1957, History of the British Iron and Steel Industry (London, Routledge), pp. 256-264.

  10. 453

    lewes,_sussex arch soc 093.jpg
    >520 x 525 mm

    Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging; irregular arrangement of three rope lengths at top left; rope cross above ‘V’ at middle bottom; impression of a pair of scissors between two impressions of a domestic table knife.

    Notes: The knife is early-17th century in date or perhaps a bit earlier, just into Elizabeth I’s reign. The pommels date them from around this time and the long and narrow blades are right for the end of Elizabeth/early James I. The irregular rope lengths suggest this is probably part of a larger fireback.

    Manufactured: in the late-16th to early-17th century in the Weald area of England.

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

    Museum number: LH000.939 (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).

    Citation: Moore, S., 1999, Cutlery for the Table (Sheffield, The Hallamshire Press).