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608
Description: Rectangular; ovolo-moulded edging (top and sides); shield of the Worshipful Company of Masons: Sable, on a chevron, engrailed argent between 3 castles of the second, with doors and windows of the field, a pair of compasses extended of the first; above, the letter ‘C’, the letters ‘H’ and ‘M’ split by the shield.
Notes: The arms of the Masons’ Company were granted in 1473. Sold at Christie's Masters and Maker auction, 30 November 2010, lot 523 (£500).
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: HCM [triad]
Arms: Worshipful Company of Masons
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- ovolo (edging)
- carved stamps
- individual letters
- armorial
- text
Manufactured: in the early-17th century possibly in the Weald area of England.
Current location: not known.
- Attached to series:
- Livery company firebacks
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611
Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging (top and sides) with fillet inside; top centre, rose-and-crown between four concentric roundels, two on each side in line, with two more below the inner ones; small fleurs-de-lys in triad below rose-and-crown; top left, initials; top right, date; small rose below date; triad of small roses to right of, and below, initials.
Notes: The style of rose and crown is similar to that used in gun founding in the Tudor period, suggesting that the furnace that was the source of this fireback may have been used for that purpose. Sold at Christie's Masters and Makers auction, 30 November 2010, lot 524 (£688).
Inscription: RP 1692
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- carved stamps
- heraldic
- royal
- text
- objects
Manufactured: in 1692 in the Weald area of England.
Current location: in private hands, Wadhurst, East Sussex, England.
- Attached to series:
- 1660s-90s Wealden series
- Date & initials firebacks
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613
Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging (top and sides); top centre, crowned Tudor royal shield between, on the left, and angled lion passant guardant sinister and, on the right, an angled lion passant; in each of the top corners, a four petalled rose; below the shield, a crowned shield bearing the initials above a small fleur-de-lys, between two crowned four-petalled roses; outside each of the roses, a pair of ‘imp’ figures, one with an arm raised, the other with both arms lowered.
Notes: A copy; one of the ‘Royal’ series. Sold at Christie's Masters and Makers auction, 30 November 2010, lot 522 (£2,125).
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: KH
Arms: Tudor royal arms of England
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- carved stamps
- heraldic
- armorial
- animals
Manufactured: in the mid-16th century in the Weald area of England.
Current location: not known.
- Attached to series:
- Royal series
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614
Description: Rectangular; cavetto-moulded edging; English royal Stuart shield, garter, crown, crowned lion and unicorn supporters, and motto; initials split by crown.
Notes: A bold, well-sculpted pattern.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: I R / HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE / DIEU ET MON DROIT
Arms: English Stuart royal - James I
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- cavetto (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- individual letters
- armorial
- royal
- text
Manufactured: in the early-17th century in England.
Current location: Mark Ripley Forge & Fireplaces, Northbridge Street, Robertsbridge, East Sussex, England.
- Attached to series:
- Jacobean royal armorial firebacks
- Stuart royal armorial firebacks
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615
Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging (top and sides); two irregularly spaced crosses formed of short, thick twisted lengths of rope.
Notes: The crosses may have been formed by twisting thinner rope around a short length of dowel, and are likely to have Christian significance.
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- simple stamps
- apotropaic
- objects
Manufactured: in the 16th century possibly in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Mark Ripley Forge & Fireplaces, Northbridge Street, Robertsbridge, East Sussex, England.
- Attached to series:
- Rope design firebacks
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616
Description: Rectangular; ovolo-moulded edging (top and sides); date (in two parts) split across upper part of plate.
Notes: A recasting
Inscription: 17 25
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- ovolo (edging)
- individual numbers
- text
Manufactured: in 1725 possibly in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Mark Ripley Forge & Fireplaces, Northbridge Street, Robertsbridge, East Sussex, England.
- Attached to series:
- Date only firebacks
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619
Description: Rectangular; astragal edging; leopard passant guardant sinister canted, facing a leopard passant, with a crowned shield between bearing the initials, KH, above a fleur-de-lys.
Notes: One of the Royal series with uncommonly few stamps.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: KH
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- astragal (edging)
- carved stamps
- heraldic
- animals
Manufactured: in the mid-16th century in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Mark Ripley Forge & Fireplaces, Northbridge Street, Robertsbridge, East Sussex, England.
- Attached to series:
- Royal series
-
623
Description: Rectangular; ovolo moulded edging (top and sides); at top, date split by initials (with dot between).
Notes: A bold, elegant plate with characters in high relief. The character set is known to have been used for another fireback cast at Heathfield Furnace, Sussex. Sold at Christie's Masters and Makers auction, 30 November 2010, lot 521 (£1000 part with no. 601, no. 637 and no. 634).
Inscription: 17 I·P 54
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- ovolo (edging)
- individual numbers
- text
Manufactured: in 1754 at Heathfield Furnace in the Weald area of England.
Current location: not known.
- Attached to series:
- Date & initials firebacks
- 1750s Heathfield series
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624
Description: Rectangular; cavetto edging all round; seated lion on right, its tail rising above its back and its head turned to face the viewer; a seated sheep on the left; date split across top.
Notes: Intended to represent the saying, ‘The lion shall lie down with the lamb’, a popular misquotation of Isaiah 11: 6.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: 1679
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- cavetto (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- individual numbers
- pictorial
- biblical
- text
- animals
Manufactured: in 1679 in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Mark Ripley Forge & Fireplaces, Northbridge Street, Robertsbridge, East Sussex, England.
- Attached to series:
- Small cavetto series
- Old Testament & Apocrypha firebacks
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628
Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging (top and sides); twisted rope length stamped eight times in a mirrored double rhombus pattern with a central cross; a crude human figurine stamped irregularly four times, two on each side of the rope design.
Notes: An uncharacteristically small fireback for its likely period.
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- simple stamps
- carved stamps
- apotropaic
- objects
Manufactured: in the mid- to late-16th century possibly in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Mark Ripley Forge & Fireplaces, Northbridge Street, Robertsbridge, East Sussex, England.
- Attached to series:
- Miscellaneous stamp firebacks
- Figurine firebacks
- Rope design firebacks