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313
Description: Arched rectangular shape; cavetto moulded edging; date top centre within arch.
Notes: Plain elegant fireback from a late series, probably cast in the south east of England. The crack emanating from the top right corner of the fireback seems to be a weakness on all the recorded examples, and may have caused by thinness of the base board at that point.
Inscription: 1853
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- cavetto (edging)
- carved stamps
- individual numbers
- text
Manufactured: in 1853 in England.
Current location: Nymans, Staplefield Road, Handcross, Slaugham, West Sussex, England.
(part of the National Trust museum group)
- Attached to series:
- 1850s series
- Date only firebacks
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1138
Description: Arched rectangular shape; twisted rope edging (top and sides); upper centre, date between shoulders of arch.
Notes: The numerals have been crudely impressed, probably using a pointed implement.
Inscription: 1658
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- individual numbers
- text
Manufactured: in 1658 in the Forest of Dean area of England.
Current location: in private hands, Hartpury, Gloucestershire, England.
- Attached to series:
- Date only firebacks
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119
Description: Arched rectangular shape; cavetto moulded edge on all sides; perspective view of a lantern clock.
Notes: The arms of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers were granted in 1672: Sable a Clock each of the four pillars of the case based on a Lion couchant and capped with a Globe surmounted by a Cross and on the dome of the case an Imperial Crown all Or. The hands of the clock show six o’clock, as on the livery company shield.
Copies of this fireback are known.
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- cavetto (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- objects
Manufactured: in the mid 17th century in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Hastings Museum and Art Gallery, John's Place, Bohemia Road, Hastings, East Sussex, England.
Museum number: 952.51.48 (part of the Hastings Museum museum group)
- Attached to series:
- Small cavetto series
- Livery company firebacks
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141
Description: Arched rectangular shape; ovolo moulded edging; central oval shield of the arms of Penkhurst with fillet edge; date arranged in four corners.
Notes: The arms of Penkhurst: Argent, a fess ermines between six mullets sable. Probably the arms of Ferdinando Penkhurst, of Buxted Park, Sussex, who died in 1708.
Inscription: 1707
Arms: Penkhurst, of Mayfield
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- ovolo (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- individual numbers
- armorial
- text
Manufactured: in 1707 in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Hastings Museum and Art Gallery, John's Place, Bohemia Road, Hastings, East Sussex, England.
Museum number: 952.51.46 (part of the Hastings Museum museum group)
Citation: Dalton, A., 2002, 'The Penkhurst family of ironmasters', Wealden Iron, 2nd ser., 22, pp. 23-26.
Citation: Lloyd, N., 1925, 'Domestic Ironwork I', Architectural Review, 58, pp. 58-67.
- Attached to series:
- Personal armorial firebacks
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142
Description: Arched rectangular shaped; cavetto moulded edging (top and sides); a cabled anchor palewise, behind it the inscription on a scroll parallel with the anchor flukes.
Notes: The inscription is a quotation from Psalms 139: 1: 'Domine, probasti me et cognovisti me' - Lord, Thou hast searched me and known me. Another version of the same design may come from the same source
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: PROBASTI ME [Thous hast searched me]
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- cavetto (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- heraldic
- text
- objects
Manufactured: in the mid to late 17th century possibly at Brede furnace in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Hastings Museum and Art Gallery, John's Place, Bohemia Road, Hastings, East Sussex, England.
Museum number: 952.51.38 (part of the Hastings Museum museum group)
- Attached to series:
- Small cavetto series
- Old Testament & Apocrypha firebacks
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146
Description: Arched rectangular shape; cavetto moulded edging; shield, helm, crest, supporters, mantling and motto of the Corporation of the City of London; initials split by crest; date split at ends of motto.
Notes: Shield: Argent, a cross gules, in the first quarter a sword in pale point upwards of the last; crest: on a wreath argent and gules a dragon's sinister wing argent, charged on the underside with a cross throughout gules; supporters: on either side a dragon argent charged on the undersides of the wings with a cross throughout gules; motto: Domine Dirige Nos - Lord Direct Us; the earliest illustration of the arms in this form was in 1609, but their use is older.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: F W / 16 DOMINE DIRIGE NOS 59
Arms: Corporation of the City of London
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- cavetto (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- individual letters
- armorial
- text
Manufactured: in 1659 possibly in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Hastings Museum and Art Gallery, John's Place, Bohemia Road, Hastings, East Sussex, England.
Museum number: 952.51.53 (part of the Hastings Museum museum group)
- Attached to series:
- Civic firebacks
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162
Description: Arched rectangular shaped; cavetto-moulded edge; figure of St Paul, a sword in his left hand, holding a viper in his right hand over flames rising from the ground.
Notes: The scene illustrates an episode in the New Testament, Acts 28: 3. The design shows stylistic similarities to other firebacks where simple, well-executed relief has overlapped the cavetto edging.
Copies of this fireback are known.
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- cavetto (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- pictorial
- biblical
- humans
Manufactured: in the mid to late 17th century possibly in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Hastings Museum and Art Gallery, John's Place, Bohemia Road, Hastings, East Sussex, England.
Museum number: 952.51.25 (part of the Hastings Museum museum group)
Citation: Butterfield, W. R., 1916, 'Old Wealden Firebacks', The Connoisseur, 46, pp. 197-209.
- Attached to series:
- Small cavetto series
- Biblical firebacks
- New Testament firebacks
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190
Description: Arched rectangle; bevelled edge to arch and top of shoulders; initials at centre top of arch, in triangle 'S' at top; date below initials.
Notes: Possibly the work of David Robertson (1716-93), the King's Smith, whose iron grates are commonly to be found in houses designed by the prominent Scottish architects, Robert, John and James Adam, of whom he was a kinsman; the form of the plate is typical of grate-backs Robertson made in a variety of sizes, notably at Dumfries House, Ayrshire, although the lack of evidence of fixings suggest that this may have been made to be free-standing. Until 1756/7 Robertson had his forge in a tenement in Niddery's Wynd, Edinburgh, between High Street and Cow Gate, next door to John Adam's premises, although it is not known if he had a foundry there.
Inscription: S / W A / 1745
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- individual letters
- individual numbers
- text
Manufactured: in 1745 possibly in the Edinburgh area of Scotland.
Current location: Hill Top, Sawrey, Hawkshead, Hawkshead, Cumbria, England.
Museum number: NT/HIL.M.38 (part of the National Trust museum group)
- Attached to series:
- Date & initials firebacks
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191
Description: Arched rectangle; cavetto moulded edging; Tudor royal shield, Garter and crown, with crowned lion and dragon supporters; motto along bottom; Tudor rose to left of crown, portcullis to right.
Notes: This painted fireback is reputed to have been a gift from King Henry VIII to the second Sir William Godolphin, who was present at the Siege of Boulogne in 1544 with a party of Godolphin tin miners.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: HONI SOIT QVI MAL E PENSE / DIEU ET MON DROIT
Arms: Tudor royal (Elizabeth I)
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- cavetto (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- armorial
- text
Manufactured: in the mid to late 16th century possibly in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Godolphin House, Helston, Cornwall, England.
Museum number: 169480 (part of the National Trust museum group)
- Attached to series:
- Tudor royal armorial firebacks
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1075
Description: Arched rectangular shape; cavetto-moulded edging (top and sides); English Stuart Royal arms, garter, supporters, crown and motto; altered date above crown.
Notes: This design, which probably dates from 1619, has been used to cast composite firebacks with a variety of altered dates ranging from 1629 to 1662.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: 1639 [illegible Garter and royal mottoes]
Arms: English Stuart royal
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- cavetto (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- individual numbers
- heraldic
- armorial
- text
Manufactured: in 1639 in the Forest of Dean area of England.
Current location: Black and White House Museum, The Old House, High Town, Hereford, Herefordshire, England.