Firebacks

Description: Arched rectangular shaped central panel with bead-and-pellet edging on a broad fillet; Jupiter in his chariot drawn by eagles; above are clouds, below is a landscape; arched rectangular shaped border with fillet edging, with a symmetrical scrolled wire design; the monogram, SHR, bottom centre; above is a symmetrical design of scrolled floral tendrils.

Notes: The design is derived from a personification of the planet, Jupiter, in 'Planetarum effectus et eorum in signis zodiaci', by Marten de Vos (1585).

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: SHR

Description: Arched rectangular centrel panel with bead on fillet edging; central seated female with an infant in her arms, a swan at her feet and a standing child on each side, the one to her left facing the front and holding aloft a flaming heart, its foot on a ball; the child to her right facing the back, holding aloft a branch in its left hand, all on a ground with a tree behind to the right; arched rectangular border with bead edging; fructal and floral festoons suspended on ribbons with two putti at the top and two on each side; at the bottom, a central cartouche with illegible date, between floral swags; on top, twin spirals between descending floral festoons.

Notes: The group is an allegory of Charity. A recasting.

Copies of this fireback are known.

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. A recasting.

Notes: Similar to other designs incorporating figures in chariots, though not from the same series; a recasting has the date, 1702, superimposed

Copies of this fireback are known.

Description: Arched rectangular central panel with astragal edging; allegorical figure of Peace, her right arm raised and her left hand holding an olive branch, standing amid the weapons of war; above her swags of drapery and fruit enclosing the word, PAX; arched rectangular shaped border with ovolo-moulded egg and dart edging; top centre, lion's face from which issue festoons of fruit and leaves which descend down each side, suspended from rings; at the bottom, a motto scroll bearing the date; on top, the face of a putto between two descending fish.

Notes: A more-than-usually elaborate border to a typical central panel.

Inscription: PAX / 16 63

Description: Arched rectangular central panel with additional arch above; bead edging; pictorial scene of Solomon, rising seated on a scallop-backed, canopied throne, greeting the Queen of Sheba, with other figures in attendance; identical shaped border with cavetto-moulded edging; a vase on top with descending swags of drapery; at the sides, festoons of flowers suspended from ribbon bows; at the bottom, a central cartouche between fruit bunches; on top, a bunch of three flowers with an ascending serpent on each side, and a bunch pf fl;owers on each shoulder of the plate.

Notes: Several contemporary paintings are of similar scenes; this design may have been derived from a Dutch engraving of a drawing by an anonymous French artist after Maarten van Heemskerck. Close observation shows that the scene depicted, and some other decorative elements, are different to those on a similar fireback, no. 489. Wilkinsons auction, Doncaster, 25 Mar 2024, lot 606 (£200).

Description: Arched rectangular central panel with bead-and-pellet edging on a broad fillet; pictorial scene of a figure in a chariot drawn by birds, above a ground, and with clouds over; arched rectangular border with fillet edging; alternating acanthus leaves with symmetrical curled lines, monogram centre bottom; on top, two mirrored sea serpents; extension panels to each side.

Notes: The figure is that of Jupiter, holding a bolt of lightning, who is sometimes portrayed in a chariot drawn by eagles; width without extension panels - 477mm.

Inscription: [?]WH

Description: Arched rectangular central panel with bead edging; caped naked male figure standing on clouds, head turned over his right shoulder and holding a coronet of five raised baubles aloft in his right hand, on his left hand a bird perched, its wings displayed; above left a cloud; arched rectangular fillet border containing symmetrical, regularly-spaced 'daisy' flowers and festoons of leaves descending there from; on top of the arch, a central cartouche with a mirrored eagle and scrolls on each side.

Notes: The bottom panel of the border is missing, perhaps through breakage, the bottom flower on each side being incomplete and the fillet edging discontinued. The figure, which has yet to be identified, is probably iconic or mythological. The form of the arch suggests an English origin.

Description: Arched rectangular central panel, astragal and fillet edge, pictorial, Hercules, sword in hand, preparing to slay the Hydra; Arched rectangular border, fillet edge, ivy leaves and tendrils, monogram at bottom; swirled foliage on top.

Notes: The wooden pattern for this fireback (no. 927), formerly in the custody of William Hobday (d. 1883), last surviving ironworker at Ashburnham furnace, was given to the Sussex Archaeological Society by the Revd. J. Bickersteth. The fireback was previously at a house at Hooe, East Sussex.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: TAN