Firebacks

Shape: arched rectangular

207 results

  1. 1143

    soudley,_dean heritage centre 03a.jpg
    >675 x >915 mm

    Description: Fragment, left side missing; arched rectangular shape; fillet edging (top and sides visible); initials IG widely spaced in arch.

    Notes: Previously at Bream Court Farm, Newland, Gloucestershire.

    Inscription: I G

    Manufactured: in the 17th century possibly in the Forest of Dean area of England.

    Current location: Dean Heritage Centre, Camp Mill, Soudley, Gloucestershire, England.

    Citation: Mullin, D., 1989, 'Two Firebacks', The New Regard, Forest of Dean Local History Society, 5, pp. 47-50.

  2. 1245

    stalbridge_7_dec_22_805x710.jpg
    805 x 710 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; cavetto-moulded edging; no decoration.

    Notes: A plain base board.

    Manufactured: in England.

    Current location:, not known.

  3. 820

    taddington_manor 03.jpg
    710 x 840 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; wide fillet and egg-and-dart ovolo edging; central oval armorial with fillet edging, palm fronds on each side, tied below, a crown above; in each top corner, the cross of Lorraine.

    Notes: The arms are those of Duke Leopold I of Lorraine, who also bore the titles of King of Jerusalem, Hungary and Aragon, and Duke of Anjou, Bar, Gueldre and Juliers.

    Arms: Leopold I, Duke of Lorraine and Bar (1680-1729)

    Manufactured: in the early 18th century possibly in the Lorraine area of France.

    Current location:, not known.

  4. 909

    taddington_manor 04.jpg
    617 x 910 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; cavetto-moulded edging;lower centre, crowned bust of King William III above a cartouche, orange branches, with leaves and fruit on each side; above, a putto blowing a trumpet; initials on each side of cartouche; date split between bottom corners.

    Notes: A finely detailed image of King William III, the orange branches representing the Dutch House of Oranje; the significance of the date and the initials is not known. It is possible that the bust of the king, the date, initials and the surrounding branches were carved on a separate pattern which was added to an otherwise simple mould comprising an arched rectangular border and the trumpet-blowing putto before casting. Christie's auction, 25 Feb 2014, lot 184 (£6,000).

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: 16 96 / AC AL

    Manufactured: in 1696 in England.

    Current location:, not known.

  5. 1091

    thornbury,_the freeth.jpg
    ~1000 x ~700 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; twisted rope edging (top and sides); date in arch; initials in triads in top corners.

    Notes: A fireback at Cotehele House in Cornwall, dated 1647 and bearing the initials AA, which may have come from Longden Hall, south-west of Shrewsbury in Shropshire, and was purchased by the National Trust from Longden Parish Council in the early 1970s, is similar in both its shape and style

    Inscription: 1655 / RWA [triad] / RWA [triad]

    Manufactured: in 1655 in England.

    Current location: The Freeth, Thornbury, Herefordshire, England.

    Citation: Royal Commission on Historical Monuments of England, 1932, An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Herefordshire, Volume 2: East (London, HMSO).

  6. 1238

    ticehurst,_authentic_reclamation_08_736x609.jpg
    736 x 609 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shaped, the arch linked to the rectangle by cavetto curves; cavetto edging ending in two opposed spirals at top; initials below spirals; date below initials; otherwise plain.

    Notes: Probably cast from a carved, edged board, with the initials and date added separately. A copy of an earlier casting.

    Inscription: RH / 1698

    Manufactured: in 1698 in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Authentic Reclamation, Lymden Lane, Ticehurst, East Sussex, England.

  7. 1257

    ticehurst,_authentic_reclamation_12_910x760.jpg
    910 x 760 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape, edged with simulated twisted rope between two fillets; in the arch, a shield: argent on a chevron gules three roses of the field, a canton gules for difference; beneath the shield a crest: on a wreath a squirrel sejant gules cracking a nut gules, charged on the shoulder with a cross crosslet gold for difference; inscription split either side of the head of the squirrel.

    Notes: A finely modelled and cast modern fireback with the arms and crest of a direct descendant of John Davies Gilbert (1811-54) who had played a major role in the development of the town of Eastbourne and also developed Trelissick Garden in Feock, Cornwall.

    Inscription: A.D. 1969

    Arms: Gilbert, of Eastbourne, Sussex, and Trelissick, Cornwall

    Manufactured: in 1969 in England.

    Current location: Authentic Reclamation, Lymden Lane, Ticehurst, East Sussex, England.

  8. 348

    tiverton_castle_02.jpg
    940 x 770 mm

    Description: Composite; Arched rectangular shaped, armorial fireback, cavetto edging, with Stuart Royal arms, garter, supporters, crown and motto, and 1662 date above crown; this overlies a rectangular plate, with rope-effect, fillet edging; a pattern of four rosettes surrounding a fleur-de-lys, its stem terminating in a small buckle, is repeated on each side of the central armorial fireback, with the initials above; each rosette is stamped separately.

    Notes: A variant, bearing the same date, but the initials, A B, and without the rosettes, is at Norton Manor, Malmesbury, Wiltshire.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: 16 62 / C P / HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE / DIEV·ET·MON DROIT

    Arms: English Stuart royal

    Manufactured: in 1662 possibly in the Forest of Dean area of England.

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

    (part of the Colchester & Ipswich Museums Service museum group)

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

  9. 299

    trefriw,_gwydir_castle_02.jpg
    762 x 650 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; gadrooned edging (top and sides); initials, in separate stamps, at top of arch; date probably in separate stamps, below; spindle used as a stamp repeated three times, one between date and initial stamps, the other two below to left and right.

    Notes: The same base board and spindle have been used for other firebacks of the same period. A similar casting (no. 1284) has the 'W' in a slightly different position.

    Inscription: I W / 16 22

    Manufactured: in 1622 possibly at Cuckfield Furnace in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Gwydir Castle, Trefriw, Conwy, Wales.

  10. 977

    unknown_100 800x590.jpg
    800 x 590 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; ovolo moulded edging; Tudor royal shield, garter, crown, motto and supporters (crowned lion and dragon), temp. Elizabeth I; initials in space on either side of top of garter; the top of the lion's crown and the dragon's ear overlap the edging.

    Notes: The initials have been added to an early recasting; another version has a rose and portcullis either side of the crown, and the top of the lion's crown and the dragon's ear do not overlap the edging.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: I G / [Garter] HONI SOIT QVI MAL E PENSE / [motto] DIEV ET MON DROIT

    Arms: Tudor royal

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

    Current location:, not known.