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725
Description: Canted rectangle with twisted rope edging; uneven, individually stamped letters and numerals, the initials separating the two parts of the date, which are raised slightly higher; dots are stamped on each side of each half of the date and between the initials; a twisted rope saltire at each end of the inscription.
Notes: The plate above the inscription is a repair, as are the rivets either side of the crack.
Inscription: ·16· M · N ·59·
- Decoration tags:
- canted rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- simple stamps
- carved stamps
- individual letters
- individual numbers
- apotropaic
- text
- objects
Manufactured: in 1659 in the Weald area of England.
Current location: in private hands, Upper Beeding, West Sussex, England.
- Attached to series:
- Date & initials firebacks
- Rope design firebacks
- Shortened '5' series
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741
Description: Rectangular, with canted top corners; twisted rope edging (top and sides only); five shields of Ayloffe impaling Sulyard in two rows, 3-2; Ayloffe: sable, a lion rampant Or, collared gules, between three crosses formy of the second; Sulyard: argent, a chevron gules between three pheons inverted sable. Two cut notches probably for firedogs.
Notes: William Ayloffe (c1535-1584) of Hornchurch, Essex, Justice of the Court of Queen’s Bench, married (c1560) Jane, dau. of Sir Eustace Sulyard, of Runwell, Essex. A large number of variants use the same shields. The excrescences affecting the left and right sides respectively of the lower shields are the result of inexpert ladling of the iron during casting. Part of the bequest to the Victoria and Albert Museum by Lieut. Colonel G. B. Croft-Lyons in 1926.
Arms: Ayloffe impaling Sulyard (William Ayloffe of Bretons, Hornchurch)
- Decoration tags:
- canted rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- carved stamps
- armorial
Manufactured: in the early 17th century in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, Kensington & Chelsea, Greater London, England.
Museum number: M.621-1926 (part of the Victoria & Albert Museum museum group)
- Attached to series:
- Ayloffe series
- Personal armorial firebacks
- Andiron slot firebacks
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742
Description: Rectangular with canted top corners; twisted rope edging all round except base: plain plate with two stamps of an iron firedog with twisted neck and shield bearing letters HN and crossed staples; firedogs have columnar capitals; fleur de lys stamp repeated six times, singly at each end, in star pattern in middle; stamps have twisted wreaths.
Notes: The initials HN probably refer to Henry Nevill, the crossed staples being a badge of the Nevill family. Henry Nevill occupied Mayfield furnace from about 1585 until 1599. One of two variants (see no. 393) with the same firedogs and fleurs-de-lys; other firedogs in a very similar style are known.
Inscription: HN HN
- Decoration tags:
- canted rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- simple stamps
- carved stamps
- heraldic
- text
- objects
Manufactured: in the late 16th century possibly at Mayfield Furnace in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, Kensington & Chelsea, Greater London, England.
Museum number: 11.1900 (part of the Victoria & Albert Museum museum group)
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748
Description: Fragment; right part only; canted rectangle; twisted rope edging; lion passant positioned vertically along right side; rose and crown stamp repeated twice (both over-pressed), each above an ‘imp’ figure with both arms lowered.
Notes: A particularly clear casting; the right rear leg of the lion (missing on some variants of this series) has been replaced by a short length of twisted rope.
- Decoration tags:
- canted rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- carved stamps
- heraldic
- animals
Manufactured: in the mid 16th century in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, Kensington & Chelsea, Greater London, England.
Museum number: 897.1901 (part of the Victoria & Albert Museum museum group)
- Attached to series:
- Royal series
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766
Description: Canted rectangle; ovolo-moulded edging; shield and dolphin crown of the dauphin of France, encircled by the Ordre d'Esprit and the Ordre de St Michel; dolphins in the bottom corners, separating digits of the date.
Notes: The 24th Dauphin was Louis, son of Louis XV and father of Louis XVI. Part of the bequest to the Victoria and Albert Museum by Lieut. Colonel G. B. Croft-Lyons in 1926.
Inscription: 1 7 5 0
Arms: Dauphin of France (24th Dauphin)
- Decoration tags:
- canted rectangular (shape)
- ovolo (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- armorial
- royal
Manufactured: in 1750 in France.
Current location: Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, Kensington & Chelsea, Greater London, England.
Museum number: M.625-1926 (part of the Victoria & Albert Museum museum group)
- Attached to series:
- Foreign armorial firebacks
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1278
Description: Canted rectangular shape; twisted rope edging (top and sides only; two approximately parallel horizontal lines of twisted rope across the upper centre; from the upper line and starting at the top corners, five regularly-spaced vertical lines of twisted rope extending to the top edge, the centre one with a horizontal rope length formiong a cross.
Notes: A simple rope design with apotropaic significance.
- Decoration tags:
- canted rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- simple stamps
- apotropaic
- objects
Manufactured: in the mid to late 16th century possibly in the Weald area of England.
Current location: in private hands, Wadhurst, East Sussex, England.
- Attached to series:
- Rope design firebacks
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1280
Description: Canted rectangular shape; twisted rope edging (top and sides); two approximately parallel horizontal lines of twisted rope across the upper centre; from the upper line and starting at the top corners, seven regularly spaced vertical lines of twisted rope extending to the top edge.
Notes: A simple rope design without apotropaic significance.
Copies of this fireback are known.
- Decoration tags:
- canted rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- simple stamps
- objects
Manufactured: in the late 16th to early 17th century possibly in the Weald area of England.
Current location: in private hands, Wadhurst, East Sussex, England.
- Attached to series:
- Rope design firebacks
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1020
Description: Canted rectangular shape; twisted rope edging (top and sides); top centre, date formed of individual numerals.
Notes: The '1' has a central button, typical of the period, or of a little earlier. Formerly at Padley Hall, Derbyshire. Wilkinson's, Doncaster, auction 24 Apr 2016 lot 317.
Inscription: 1670
- Decoration tags:
- canted rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- individual numbers
- text
Manufactured: in 1670 in England.
Current location:, not known.
- Attached to series:
- Date only firebacks
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1146
Description: Canted rectangular shape; astragal edging with repeated fleurs-de-lys inside top and side edges; figure of St George impaling a dragon to the left with a lance over an undulating ground, with a kneeling figure above a sheep to the right.
Notes: The mould for this unusual fireback may have been formed using a redundant carved, medieval wooden panel, perhaps from a church. Wilkinson's Auctioneers, Doncaster, 24 June 2018, lot 132.
- Decoration tags:
- canted rectangular (shape)
- astragal (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- pictorial
- mythological
- animals
- humans
Manufactured: in the 16th century in England.
Current location:, not known.
- Attached to series:
- Miscellaneous pattern firebacks
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1192
Description: Canted rectangular shape; twisted rope edging formed of six lengths of 23cm (top and sides); top centre, rectangular panel with cavetto-moulded edging (left side missing) enclosing date between initials CT, all interposed with dots; below, eight shields of Ayloffe impaling Sulyard in three rows (3-2-3); Ayloffe: sable, a lion rampant Or, collared gules, between three crosses formy of the second; Sulyard: argent, a chevron gules between three pheons inverted sable.
Notes: William Ayloffe (c1535-1584) of Hornchurch, Essex, Justice of the Court of Queen’s Bench, married (c1560) Jane, dau. of Sir Eustace Sulyard, of Runwell, Essex. The initials 'CT' are likely to be those of Charles Tyler, a founder whose working life and that of his family have strong parallels with the occurrence of these firebacks. The excrescence affecting the left shield in the middle row and the blemish left of the middle shield in the top row are the result of inexpert ladling of the iron during casting. Previously at Smarden, Kent.
Inscription: C.1.6.1.2.T
Arms: Ayloffe impaling Sulyard (William Ayloffe of Bretons, Hornchurch)
- Decoration tags:
- canted rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- carved stamps
- individual letters
- individual numbers
- heraldic
- armorial
- text
Manufactured: in 1612 possibly at Bedgebury Furnace, Goudhurst in the Weald area of England.
Current location: in private hands, Crawley, West Sussex, England.
- Attached to series:
- Ayloffe series
- Personal armorial firebacks