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961
Description: Rectangular; ogee-moulded edging on top and side edges; symmetrical layout of date and initials; date split between left and right sides, initials in centre, arranged in triad.
Notes: One of a series of backs dating to the 1730s and 40s using very similar sets of letters and numerals.
Inscription: 17 I M I 34
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- ovolo (edging)
- carved stamps
- individual letters
- individual numbers
- text
Manufactured: in 1734 in the Weald area of England.
Current location: in private hands, Titsey, Surrey, England.
- Attached to series:
- Date & initials firebacks
- 1730s-40s, date & initial series
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703
Description: Rectangular; cavetto moulded edging; pictorial scene of the siege of Bethulia, with Judith placing the severed head of Holofernes into the bag held by her maid; in the lower panel are the top parts of four knightly figures.
Notes: The design is after one by the pattern-maker, Philipp Soldan, and derived from a woodcut of an engraving by Israhel van Meckenhem; it illustrates scenes from the Apocryphal book of Judith.
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- cavetto (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- pictorial
- biblical
- humans
Manufactured: in the late-16th century in the Eifel area of Germany.
Current location: Tiverton Castle, Tiverton, Devon, England.
- Attached to series:
- Stoveplates
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705
Description: Stove side plate; cavetto moulded edging; upper panel, Ionic column and pedestal to left; six courtly scenes separated by arches and columns; lower panel, two circular frames, each with a figure, male to the left, female to the right, decorative scroll work between.
Notes: Possibly a graphic retelling of the parable of the Unjust Steward (Luke 16: 1-13)
Inscription: [illegible]
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- flanged (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- pictorial
- biblical
- text
- humans
Manufactured: in the late-16th to early-17th century possibly in the Eifel area of Germany.
Current location: Tiverton Castle, Tiverton, Devon, England.
- Attached to series:
- Stoveplates
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707
Description: Rectangular; astragal moulding on top and side edges; symmetrical layout of date and initials; date split between left and right sides, initials in middle.
Notes: One of a series of backs dating to the 1730s and 40s using very similar sets of letters and numerals.
Inscription: 17 IF 43
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- astragal (edging)
- carved stamps
- individual letters
- individual numbers
- text
Manufactured: in 1743 in the Weald area of England.
Current location: in private hands, Tonbridge, Kent, England.
- Attached to series:
- Date & initials firebacks
- 1730s-40s, date & initial series
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1109
Description: Rectangular; plain edging; asymmetrical arrangement of stamps: top right, three 'renaissance' style shield stamps with a 'PL' monogram above two [?]bougets, in a triangular arrangement bases uppermost; top centre, a shield, indented at the top, charged with a bird upon a branch; top left, crowned shield of France Modern between two inverted 'PL' monogram shields above a bird shield; to the right, a broad bladed dagger, point uppermost.
Notes: The dagger is of the cinquedea style, introduced from Italy in the early-16th century, length approx. 38cm; the bird shield stamp has been seen on other firebacks. Wilkinson's Auctioneers, Doncaster, 24 Feb 2019, lot 534 (£650).
Inscription: PL [in five shields]
Arms: 'France Modern'
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- none (edging)
- simple stamps
- carved stamps
- heraldic
- monogram
- armorial
- royal
- objects
Manufactured: in the early- to mid-16th century in the Weald area of England.
Current location: not known.
- Attached to series:
- Bird shield series
- Knife & Dagger stamp firebacks
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1160
Description: Rectangular, with double astragal edging; three eaglets, their wings outspread, side by side; the initials IW and SW, respectively, to left and right of the central eaglet's head.
Notes: The design is based on the arms of Wynn, of Gwydir Castle in the Conwy valley of North Wales, the blazon of which is Vert, three eagles displayed in fess or. The initials relate to Sir John Wynn (1553-1626/7) who, c.1576, married Sydney Gerrard (d.1632), dating the fireback to c.1576-1626. The conjoined wings of the eagles appear to form heart shapes.
Inscription: IW SW
Arms: Wynn of Gwydir
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- astragal (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- individual letters
- heraldic
- text
- animals
Manufactured: in the late-16th to early-17th century in England.
Current location: Gwydir Castle, Trefriw, Conwy, Wales.
- Attached to series:
- Personal firebacks
- Welsh armorial firebacks
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1202
? x ? mmDescription: Rectangular shape; twisted rope edging (top and sides); upper centre, two evenly-spaced, medium-sized twisted rope crosses.
Notes: Formerly (1950) at Maidstone, Kent. Illustration from Schubert, 1950.
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- simple stamps
- apotropaic
- objects
Manufactured: in the late-16th to early-17th century possibly in the Weald area of England.
Current location: not known.
Citation: Schubert, H. R., Aug 1950, ‘Old English Iron Firebacks’, Steel News, 2, 2, p. 8.
- Attached to series:
- Rope design firebacks
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713
Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging (top and sides); top row, two square-within-a-square arrangements of twisted rope between three stamps formed of Gothic tracery cresting; 2nd row, two more tracery cresting stamps between two crowned, star-embossed butter mould stamps with a crowned rose-en-soleil stamp in the middle; 3rd row, three star-embossed butter mould stamps with two pairs of fleurs-de-lys between them; bottom row, seven fleurs-de-lys; plus intersepersed fragments of cresting and short rope lengths, a vertical arrangement of cresting fragments down the right side and a vertical, zig-zag arrangement of rope lengths on the left side.
Notes: The rose-en-soleil was the badge of King Edward IV and, thus, a Yorkist symbol. Many of the stamps employed on this fireback are seen, with other stamps, on a wide variety of firebacks, suggesting a common source; similar gothic tracery cresting can be seen as pierced cresting on a rare late-Medieval, wooden Easter sepulchre at the redundant church of St Michael at Cowthorpe, North Yorkshire. A similar fireback is at Anne of Cleves House, Lewes (no. 371). Christie's auction, 24 May 2001.
Copies of this fireback are known.
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- simple stamps
- carved stamps
- heraldic
- objects
Manufactured: in the mid- to late-16th century possibly at Pounsley Furnace, Framfield in the Weald area of England.
Current location: not known.
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847
Description: Originally rectangular; two identical panels, each with braid edging, a vine standard with six bunches of grapes and a cluster at the top.
Notes: One of an unusual series formed from separate panels arranged, in this instance, with repeated panel; fire-damaged, hence the distorted shape. Recovered after the fire at Nymans, Handcross, Sussex in 1947.
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- simulated rope (edging)
- carved pattern panels
- plants
Manufactured: in the late-16th century in the Weald area of England.
Current location: not known.
- Attached to series:
- Armada series
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906
Description: Rectangular; cyma recta moulded edging in short lengths (top and sides, with gap at bottom of each side); top centre, rose and crown between four small fleurs-de-lys (2 over 2); date split in top corners, with concentric roundel inside, next to upper fleurs; below date, concentric roundel, with small rose inside, next to lower fleurs; the whole arrangement symmetrical.
Notes: The only example of this series with no initials; one vertical plankline. 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.
Inscription: 16 85
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- complex, furniture-derived (edging)
- simple stamps
- carved stamps
- individual numbers
- planklines
- heraldic
- royal
- text
- objects
Manufactured: in 1685 in the Weald area of England.
Current location: in private hands, Upper Beeding, West Sussex, England.
- Attached to series:
- 1660s-90s Wealden series