Firebacks

Shape: rectangular with round arch

274 results

  1. 523

    petworth_004.jpg
    594 x 554 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; cavetto-moulded edging; figure in mid-17th century armour, sword in belt, riding a prancing horse; initials split, below corners of arch, in front of horse’s head and behind rider’s back.

    Notes: Probably intended to represent Charles I in memoriam, as other firebacks in this style date from the end of the Commonwealth period.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: [C missing] R

    Manufactured: in the mid-17th century in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Petworth House, Petworth, West Sussex, England.

    Museum number: NT/PET/M/77 (part of the National Trust museum group)

    Citation: Baines, J. M., 1958, Wealden Firebacks (Hastings Museum).

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

    Citation: Lloyd, N., 1925, 'Domestic Ironwork I', Architectural Review, 58, pp. 58-67.

  2. 532

    petworth_012.jpg
    612 x 628 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shaped with narrow shoulders; fillet edging; date in individual numerals across arch.

    Notes: A smaller version is different in the spacing of the numerals and the proportions of the plate.

    Inscription: 1658

    Manufactured: in 1658 possibly in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Petworth House, Petworth, West Sussex, England.

    Museum number: NT/PET/M/85 (part of the National Trust museum group)

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

  3. 538

    petworth_019.jpg
    720 x 990 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; fillet edging; blank arched rectangular central panel with rebated fillet edging; on top, above a cone of laurel leaves, a crown supported by two putti, each holding a plant stem; on each side, a flower and fruit festoon suspended on a ribbon from a ring; at the bottom , inscription on a scroll.

    Notes: A border panel, usually incorporated with a separate pictorial central panel.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: [...]O 1695

    Manufactured: in 1695 in the Siegerland area of Germany.

    Current location: Petworth House, Petworth, Kent, England.

    Museum number: NT/PET/M/93 (part of the National Trust museum group)

  4. 584

    petworth_063.jpg
    920 x 860 mm

    Description: Of unique design; quasi-arched rectangular shape; ribbon border, curled on each side of the neck. Symmetrical arrangement of plant tendrils with acorns, oak leaves, pomegranates and other leaves across the rectangular base; above and centrally placed are the date, over which are the initials either side of a crescent moon, surmounted by an earl’s coronet.

    Notes: The initials, H N, are thought to refer to Henry, 9th Earl of Northumberland, and the date to his release from the Tower of London following his 17 years’ imprisonment for alleged involvement in the Gunpowder Plot.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: H N / 1622

    Manufactured: in 1622 probably at Frith Furnace, Northchapel in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Petworth House, Petworth, West Sussex, England.

    Museum number: 485698 (part of the National Trust museum group)

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

  5. 198

    pimlico,_gifford mead 05.jpg
    510 x 480 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; cavetto-moulded edging; English royal coronet with three ostrich feathers rising from within; below, a motto scroll with inscription.

    Notes: The badge of the Prince of Wales; the initials, CP, are probably for Carolus Princep; the motto is mis-spelled in error for 'Ich Dien' - I serve, which is more likely a mistranscription rather than a deliberate slur. The apparent crack in the angle of the arch and the top left of the fireback is an impression, indicating that this is a recasting.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: C P/ICH LIEN

    Manufactured: in the mid-17th century possibly in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: not known.

  6. 978

    pimlico,_gifford mead 07.jpg
    756 x 737 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; twisted rope edging with inaccurately parallel arched rectangular fillet inside, enclosing repeated small fleur-de-lys stamps along sides and top; initials in triad in each of the internal top corners; date in arch.

    Notes: The initials probably relate to a couple whose surname begins with C, the husband's forename initial being R and the wife's I (or J).

    Inscription: RCI/ 1675 / RCI

    Manufactured: in 1675 in England.

    Current location: not known.

  7. 1248

    plaistow,_quennell_house.jpg
    940 x 740 mm

    Description: Central arched rectangular shape with rounded corners; ovolo moulding all round; oval Tudor royal shield with garter surrounding, topped with a royal crown; dragon and greyhound supporters; initials split by crown; all details below shield illegible; rectangular extension panels on each side, with twisted rope edging; quasi mirrored arrangement of twisted rope lengths to form (from the top) a cross, a vertical pointing arrow, and a diamond shape with a central vertical line.

    Notes: The detail of the extension panel is sharper than the armorial, indicating that the panel was cast with a worn copy of the armorial. Illustrated in Weaver, 1914, p. 16.

    Inscription: E R [+ Garter, Harvo and royal mottoes, all illegible]

    Arms: Tudor royal (prob. Henry VIII)

    Manufactured: in the late-16th to early-17th century in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: in private hands, Plaistow, West Sussex, England.

    Citation: Weaver, L., 1914, Small Country Houses: their repair and enlargement (London, Country Life).

  8. 589

    richmond,_ham house 01.jpg
    438 x 433 mm

    Description: Double arched rectangular shaped; ovolo edging; central clock dial with Roman numerals separated by stops, sunburst inside, single hand with fleur de lys pointer; teardrop weights suspended from each side; symmetrical tendrils above.

    Notes: One of the ‘hooked 1’ series of firebacks - the number ‘1’ is just discernable bottom left; two versions exist of this fireback, the other having finials above the suspended weights.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: I · II · III · IIII · V · VI · VII · VIII · IX · X · XI · XII / 16...

    Manufactured: in the mid-17th century possibly at Brede Furnace in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Ham House, Richmond, Surrey, England.

    Museum number: 1139737 (part of the National Trust museum group)

    Citation: Hodgkinson, J. S., 2007, 'A Godly chimney plate and other firebacks from Brede', Wealden Iron, 2nd ser., 27, pp. 18-26.

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

  9. 590

    richmond,_ham house 02.jpg
    685 x 558 mm

    Description: Quasi-arched rectangular shape, semi-circular protrusions on top corners; cavetto-moulded edging; two mirrored scrolls inside arch; a phoenix in flames, its wings displayed and inverted.

    Notes: A variant (no. 895) bears the date, 1650, and the initials, IM; a loop normally at the top is absent, and careless pouring of the iron has obliterated some of the detail down the right side of the casting.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Manufactured: in the mid-17th century possibly at Brede Furnace in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Ham House, Richmond, Surrey, England.

    Museum number: 1139821 (part of the National Trust museum group)

  10. 596

    ripley_002.jpg
    1070 x 880 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape with base plinth; astragal and fillet edging (top and sides) with overlapping leaf pattern; mirrored wave pattern on plinth; shield, supporters, motto scroll and coronet of the 1st Earl of Ashburnham.

    Notes: The arms are Ashburnham impaling Grey: Ashburnham: quarterly 1. Ashburnham - gules a fess between six mullets argent; 2. Holland - azure semee of fleurs-de-lys a lion rampant guardant argent; 3. Kenn - ermine three crescents gules; 4. Vaughan - sable a fess argent between three boys' heads couped at the shoulders proper having snakes enwrapped about their necks vert; and Grey - barry of six argent and azure in chief three torteaux. John, 1st Baron Ashburnham,later 1st Earl, married Lady Jemima Grey in 1724 so the fireback dates between then and 1737 when John died. A sketch of an example of this fireback was made by J. Starkie Gardner c.1891 and is in his collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Archive of Art and Design (AAD/2014/8).

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: LE ROY ET L'ESTAT [barely legible]

    Arms: John, 1st Earl of Ashburnham

    Manufactured: in the early-18th century probably at Ashburnham Furnace in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Mark Ripley Forge & Fireplaces, Northbridge Street, Robertsbridge, East Sussex, England.

    Citation: Denny, H., 1937, 'Iron Fire-back', Sussex Notes and Queries, 6, 6, p. 189.