Firebacks

Shape: rectangular

329 results

  1. 301

    gardner_19a.jpg
    910 x 520 mm

    Description: Rectangular; inset twisted rope edging (top and sides); crowned Tudor royal shield stamp repeated three times across top, each pair interspersed with an 'imp' figure with right arm raised; below each shield, rectangular stamp with indistinct ?rose design, each pair interspersed with a twisted rope saltire.

    Notes: The crowned shield and 'imp' figure associate this fireback with others of the Royal series; the saltires may have apotropaic significance. Illustration from Starkie Gardner 1898, p. 143.

    Arms: Tudor royal arms of England

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

    Current location: Stone House, Rushlake Green, Warbleton, East Sussex, England.

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

  2. 1214

    geddington,_boughton_house_01.jpg
    860 x 1250 mm

    Description: Rectangular shape; no edging; shield of the 2nd Duke of Montagu surrounded by the Garter and surmounted by a ducal coronet.

    Notes: One of four firebacks at Boughton House, Northamptonshire, cast with the ducal arms and the Garter having a diameter of 77cm. Fifty firebacks were cast for the house between 1743 and 1748 by Richard Ford, probably at Nibthwaite Furnace, but also possibly at Newland furnace, both then in north Lancashire. The arms are blazoned: Quarterly, 1st & 4th: Argent, three fusils conjoined in fess gules, a bordure sable (Montagu); 2nd & 3rd: Or an eagle displayed vert beaked and membered gules (Monthermer); on an escutcheon of pretence, Sable a lion rampant Argent a canton Argent charged with a cross Gules (Churchill); John, 2nd Duke of Montagu married Mary, daughter and co-heiress of John, 1st Duke of Marlborough.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: HONI.SOIT.QUI.MAL.Y.PENSE

    Arms: Montagu quartering Monthermer with Churchill in an escutcheon of pretence - John Montagu, 2nd Duke of Montagu, KG

    Manufactured: in the mid-18th century probably at Newland Furnace in the Furness area of England.

    Current location: Boughton House, Geddington, Northamptonshire, England.

    Citation: Hodgkinson, J. S., Spring 2022, 'The Boughton House Firebacks', Base Thoughts, Newsletter of the Antique Metalware Society, pp. 10-11.

  3. 1215

    geddington,_boughton_house_02.jpg
    500 x 590 mm

    Description: Rectangular shape; no edging; shield of the 2nd Duke of Montagu surrounded by the Garter and surmounted by a ducal coronet.

    Notes: One of four firebacks at Boughton House, Northamptonshire, cast with the ducal arms and the Garter having a diameter of 31cm. Fifty firebacks were cast for the house between 1743 and 1748 by Richard Ford, probably at Nibthwaite Furnace, but also possibly at Newland furnace, both then in north Lancashire. The arms are blazoned: Quarterly, 1st & 4th: Argent, three fusils conjoined in fess gules, a bordure sable (Montagu); 2nd & 3rd: Or an eagle displayed vert beaked and membered gules (Monthermer); on an escutcheon of pretence, Sable a lion rampant Argent a canton Argent charged with a cross Gules (Churchill); John, 2nd Duke of Montagu married Mary, daughter and co-heiress of John, 1st Duke of Marlborough.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: HONI.SOIT.QUI.MAL.Y.PENSE

    Arms: Montagu quartering Monthermer with Churchill in an escutcheon of pretence - John Montagu, 2nd Duke of Montagu, KG

    Manufactured: in the mid-18th century probably at Newland Furnace in the Furness area of England.

    Current location: Boughton House, Geddington, Northamptonshire, England.

    Citation: Hodgkinson, J. S., Spring 2022, 'The Boughton House Firebacks', Base Thoughts, Newsletter of the Antique Metalware Society, pp. 10-11.

  4. 1216

    geddington,_boughton_house_03.jpg
    440 x 710 mm

    Description: Rectangular shape; no edging; shield of the 2nd Duke of Montagu surrounded by the Garter and surmounted by a ducal coronet.

    Notes: One of six firebacks at Boughton House, Northamptonshire, cast with the ducal arms and the Garter having a diameter of 40cm. Fifty firebacks were cast for the house between 1743 and 1748 by Richard Ford, probably at Nibthwaite Furnace, but also possibly at Newland furnace, both then in north Lancashire. The arms are blazoned: Quarterly, 1st & 4th: Argent, three fusils conjoined in fess gules, a bordure sable (Montagu); 2nd & 3rd: Or an eagle displayed vert beaked and membered gules (Monthermer); on an escutcheon of pretence, Sable a lion rampant Argent a canton Argent charged with a cross Gules (Churchill); John, 2nd Duke of Montagu married Mary, daughter and co-heiress of John, 1st Duke of Marlborough.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: HONI.SOIT.QUI.MAL.Y.PENSE

    Arms: Montagu quartering Monthermer with Churchill in an escutcheon of pretence - John Montagu, 2nd Duke of Montagu, KG

    Manufactured: in the mid-18th century probably at Newland Furnace in the Furness area of England.

    Current location: Boughton House, Geddington, Northamptonshire, England.

    Citation: Hodgkinson, J. S., Spring 2022, 'The Boughton House Firebacks', Base Thoughts, Newsletter of the Antique Metalware Society, pp. 10-11.

  5. 1217

    geddington,_boughton_house_04.jpg
    580 x 790 mm

    Description: Rectangular shape; no edging; shield of the 2nd Duke of Montagu surrounded by the Garter and surmounted by a ducal coronet.

    Notes: One of 23 firebacks at Boughton House, Northamptonshire, cast with the ducal arms and the Garter having a diameter of 48cm. Fifty firebacks were cast for the house between 1743 and 1748 by Richard Ford, probably at Nibthwaite Furnace, but also possibly at Newland furnace, both then in north Lancashire. The arms are blazoned: Quarterly, 1st & 4th: Argent, three fusils conjoined in fess gules, a bordure sable (Montagu); 2nd & 3rd: Or an eagle displayed vert beaked and membered gules (Monthermer); on an escutcheon of pretence, Sable a lion rampant Argent a canton Argent charged with a cross Gules (Churchill); John, 2nd Duke of Montagu married Mary, daughter and co-heiress of John, 1st Duke of Marlborough.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: HONI.SOIT.QUI.MAL.Y.PENSE

    Arms: Montagu quartering Monthermer with Churchill in an escutcheon of pretence - John Montagu, 2nd Duke of Montagu, KG

    Manufactured: in the mid-18th century probably at Newland Furnace in the Furness area of England.

    Current location: Boughton House, Geddington, Northamptonshire, England.

    Citation: Hodgkinson, J. S., Spring 2022, 'The Boughton House Firebacks', Base Thoughts, Newsletter of the Antique Metalware Society, pp. 10-11.

  6. 1218

    geddington,_boughton_house_05.jpg
    660 x 1060 mm

    Description: Rectangular shape; no edging; shield of the 2nd Duke of Montagu surrounded by the Garter and surmounted by a ducal coronet.

    Notes: One of five firebacks at Boughton House, Northamptonshire, cast with the ducal arms and the Garter having a diameter of 59cm. Fifty firebacks were cast for the house between 1743 and 1748 by Richard Ford, probably at Nibthwaite Furnace, but also possibly at Newland furnace, both then in north Lancashire. The arms are blazoned: Quarterly, 1st & 4th: Argent, three fusils conjoined in fess gules, a bordure sable (Montagu); 2nd & 3rd: Or an eagle displayed vert beaked and membered gules (Monthermer); on an escutcheon of pretence, Sable a lion rampant Argent a canton Argent charged with a cross Gules (Churchill); John, 2nd Duke of Montagu married Mary, daughter and co-heiress of John, 1st Duke of Marlborough.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: HONI.SOIT.QUI.MAL.Y.PENSE

    Arms: Montagu quartering Monthermer with Churchill in an escutcheon of pretence - John Montagu, 2nd Duke of Montagu, KG

    Manufactured: in the mid-18th century probably at Newland Furnace in the Furness area of England.

    Current location: Boughton House, Geddington, Northamptonshire, England.

    Citation: Hodgkinson, J. S., Spring 2022, 'The Boughton House Firebacks', Base Thoughts, Newsletter of the Antique Metalware Society, pp. 10-11.

  7. 1019

    gildings_19 apr 2016 lot 529 990x620.jpg
    990 x 620 mm

    Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging; top centre and corners, stamp formed of three ostrich feathers within a coronet, repeated three times.

    Notes: The ostrich feathers are the badge of the Prince of Wales; a recast plate. Gildings Auctioneers, Market Harborough, 19 Apr 2016 lot 529.

    Manufactured: in the early- to mid-17th century in England.

    Current location: not known.

  8. 302

    gillingham_museum.jpg
    840 x 580 mm

    Description: Rectangular; cyma reversa moulded edging (top and sides); top centre, date with central space; top corners, ‘A’ above ‘TA’, in all cases the ‘A’ is inverted.

    Notes: The significance of the inverted ‘A’ is not known; possibly an example from a late 17th-century series which often includes a rose and crown stamp.

    Inscription: A 16 92 A / TA TA

    Manufactured: in 1692 in England.

    Current location: Gillingham Museum, Gillingham, Dorset, England.

  9. 1207

    gorringes,_lewes,_lot_82,_2_aug_2021.jpg
    925 x 590 mm

    Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging (top and sides); in the upper part of the plate, between a leopard passant guardant sinister (on the left) and a leopard passant (on the right), a domed roundel bearing an off-centre smaller roundel within an edged circular depression, repeated four times in diamond pattern, with the smaller roundels orientated towards the centre of the arrangement; in the top corners, two more domed roundels, their smaller roundels orientated towards the bottom of the plate.

    Notes: The roundel stamp has not been noted on any other firebacks. One of the legs of the leopard on the left and both legs of the leopard on the right are missing, suggesting that the stamps, which appear complete on many firebacks, were well used and had been damaged; this suggests a relatively late use of these stamps. Gorringe's auction, Lewes, lot 82, 2 Aug 2021 (£170). Bishop & Miller Auctioneers, Stowmarket, 27 Jan 2022, lot 383 (£2,900).

    Copies of this fireback are known.

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

    Current location: not known.

    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. 996

    goudhurst,_chequer tree farmhouse.jpg
    905 x 695 mm

    Description: Quasi-rectangular shape (42.5mm wider at the bottom); border formed of strips carved with an undulating vine (top and sides); successive rows of repeated stamps: (from top) 18 'hops' or 'grape bunches' in line, horizontal fillet with line of beads below, line of vine strips, 5 birds (probably swans, a Lancastrian badge) in line with 'hops'/'grape bunches' at top and bottom of gaps, line of vine strips, line of beads with horizontal fillet below, 17 'hops'/'grape bunches' in line, and line of vine strips (partially obscured by what appears to be the repeated pressing of finger tips into the casting sand to form an extension at the base).

    Notes: One of a series of firebacks incorporating the use of the undulating vine strip, and the 'swan' stamp. This may be a recasting produced by the firm of Charles Wayte & Cheverton, formerly of Edenbridge, Kent, as a similar back was illustrated in their catalogue.

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

    Current location: in private hands, Goudhurst, Kent, England.