Firebacks

Shape: 'Dutch'

170 results

  1. 704

    tiverton_castle 04.jpg
    770 x 1060 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular central panel with bead edging; pictorial figure of a winged child holding a thunderbolt in his right hand and a sceptre in his left hand, on a ground of clouds; arched rectangular border with astragal and cavetto moulded edging; two cornucopiae, flowers and leaves tumbling from them and hanging suspended down the sides; on top, two sea serpents.

    Notes: The figure is of Zeus/Jupiter as a child.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: 16 [...]

    Manufactured: in the mid to late 17th century in the Siegerland area of Germany.

    Current location: Tiverton Castle, Tiverton, Devon, England.

  2. 706

    tiverton_castle 06.jpg
    590 x 838 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular central panel, with bead edging; pictorial, two men in 17th century dress, on a ground, carrying a huge bunch of grapes slung from a pole between them, behind are vine leaves; the initials located below the top corners; arched rectangular border, fillet edging, containing vine leaves and grapes; above, symmetrical swirling foliage.

    Notes: The scene, drawn from the Old Testament, represents Joshua and Caleb carrying the bunch of grapes from the valley of Eshcol in the land of Canaan, back to Moses and the children of Israel (Numbers 13: 23-4); a small number of firebacks bear the initials, GK; it is not known to whom they refer, but dated examples are of 1700.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: G K

    Manufactured: in 1700 in the Siegerland area of Germany.

    Current location: Tiverton Castle, Tiverton, Devon, England.

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

  3. 709

    unknown_04 northumberland 610 x 835.jpg
    610 x 835 mm

    Description: Arched central panel with fillet edging; figure in classical dress standing on a mound in front of a leafless tree; u; ninterrupted side and bottom border with straight fillet edges; at sides, mirrored low-relief undulating tendril design; at bottom, central leaf design; on top, central plume with hanging flower, between mirrored low-relief foliate swirls.

    Notes: The figure is probably an allegory of Humility. Another example of this fireback bears the date 1746.

    Manufactured: in the mid 18th century .

    Current location:, Northumberland, England.

  4. 710

    unknown_06 700 x 515.jpg
    515 x 700 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular central panel with bead edging; figure of a man with a shield, brandishing a sword in his right hand; arched rectangular border with astragal and fillet edging; mirrored swirled foliate design; on top, scallop shell between two descending sea serpents.

    Notes: The figure is probably a mythological subject.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Manufactured: in the mid to late 17th century in the Siegerland area of Germany.

    Current location:.

  5. 716

    unknown_22 990 x 740.jpg
    740 x 990 mm

    Description: Cavetto canted rectangular central panel with ovolo-moulded edging, enclosing a pictorial scene of a naked female seated at a fountain on the left, with two clothed males to her right; behind, a part of a domed brick building with the inscription around the top of the wall; enclosing the scene, twin floral festoons suspended from top centre; on top, a central crown between two descending dolphins.

    Notes: The scene depicts the Apocryphal story of Susanna and the Elders.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: SVSANA

    Manufactured: in the late 17th to early 18th century in Germany.

    Current location:.

  6. 717

    unknown_24 457 x 737.jpg
    457 x 737 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular central panel with bead-on-fillet edging; femal figure holding scales in her right hand and a sword in her left hand, foliage and clouds behind; arched rectangular border with fillet edging; from a central bow with three tassels at the top, two suspended festoons of flowers, each running through a ring under the top corners, and continuing along the bottom; on top, a central cartouche between mirrored foliate scrolls.

    Notes: The female is an allegorical representation of Justice.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Manufactured: in the early 18th century in England.

    Current location:.

  7. 719

    unknown_27 743x787.jpg
    743 x 787 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular central panel; bead-and-pellet edging; pictorial scene of a male figure seated in a chariot, his left arm resting on the side of the chariot, his right hand holding a sceptre at arm’s length, the chariot drawn by two lions across a ground with small bushes; clouds above with the personification of the wind blowing to the left; arched rectangular border with fillet edging; repeated, linked scroll-work on all sides; on top a vase of fruit between two mirrored serpents; on each side, rectangular extension panel with a curved top copying the side borders.

    Notes: A variant has no extension panels; similar to other designs incorporating figures in chariots, though not from the same series.

    Manufactured: in the early 18th century in England.

    Current location:.

  8. 720

    unknown_28 800 x 1200.jpg
    800 x 1200 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular central panel with bead-on-fillet edging, pictorial representation of a man and woman walking, behind the woman a child holds her train and a young person carries a parasol; from behind a column on the right, a horse's head is visible, a tree stands to the left, at the foot of the scene is the word 'EVROPA'; tall-arched rectangular border with fillet edging; at top of arch, a lion's head above a ring, with descending grape vines on each side; at each side, a festoon of fruit suspended on a ribbon from a lion's head; at the bottom, an oval cartouche between flowers; on top, a Holy Roman Imperial crown between two descending dolphins.

    Notes: The pictorial scene is based on an engraving c.1642 of Friedrich Wilhelm, Elector of Brandenburg, and his wife, Luise Henriette of Oranje-Nassau, by Mathias Czwiczek; one of series of firebacks depicting allegories of the four continents.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: EVROPA

    Manufactured: in the mid to late 17th century in the Siegerland area of Germany.

    Current location:.

  9. 63

    unknown_45 380x610.jpg
    380 x >610 mm

    Description: 'Dutch' style; arched rectangular central panel, bead edging, a partially clothed female figure holding a wreath in her left hand and a bunch of flowers in her right hand, a circlet of cloth hanging from her right shoulder; arched rectangular shaped border with fillet edging and floral swags suspended; on top, flowers and swirled foliage.

    Notes: The figure is an allegorical representation of Agriculture, one of the Iconologia originally published by Cesare Ripa in 1613. A damaged recasting is in Farnham Museum. The 'W' initial probably denotes the pattern maker.

    Inscription: W

    Manufactured: in the late 17th to early 18th century in England.

    Current location:, England.

  10. 904

    unknown_63 560x810.jpg
    560 x 810 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shaped central panel with five-bead and open pellet edging; pictorial: regal figure in his chariot drawn by two horses, a sceptre in his right hand; above, a putto descends from swagged curtains and a pair of tassels; below is a landscape with a cornucopia; arched rectangular shaped border with fillet edging, a scallop shell top centre with symmetrical arrangement of ivy and acanthus leaves and tendrils; the initial, N, in a cartouche bottom centre, between symmetrical oak fronds, leaves and acorns; above is a symmetrical design of scrolled floral tendrils terminating in sea monsters.

    Notes: Very similar in design and execution to firebacks of the SHR and EB series, suggesting designs emanating from the same source and with a a similar inspiration. The figure in the chariot may be an allegory of the Sun.

    Inscription: N

    Manufactured: in the early 18th century in England.

    Current location: in private hands, Amerongen, Utrecht, Netherlands.