Firebacks

Description: Rectangular; cavetto edging; a left-facing cockerel grasps a snake in its beak, another snake writhes on the ground behind it; date to left of the cockerel’s tail; four vertical planklines.

Notes: The design may have religious significance, the snake symbolising sin and the cockerel denoting St Peter’s denial of Christ. The ‘1’ of the date is hooked, suggesting a common source with firebacks designed by the pattern-maker, IM. A copy of this fireback is set into the brickwork of 16 Old Church Street, Chelsea, London.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: 1652

Description: Arched rectangular shape; astragal edging; central, vertically orientated, rectangular design comprising four circular copmpartments each containing a shield, surrounding an oval central compartment containing a castle surmounted by a crest of a hand between leafy branches all emerging from a mural crown, above is a crescent mark of cadency; the compartments are set within ears of corn with a flower head top and bottom centre.

Notes: The central design is a cast of the pattern for two panels, one on each of the pedestals of the outward-facing main columns on the Norwich Gates at Sandringham House, Norfolk. The shields are of Norfolk towns: (top left) Norwich, (top right) Great Yarmouth, (bottom left) King's Lynn, and (bottom right) Thetford. The central arms are those used by the county of Norfolk (before its official grant of arms in 1904) with the crest of the then Sheriff, Robert John Harvey of Crown Point Norwich. The gates were designed by Thomas Jeckyll and made by Messrs Barnard, Bishop and Barnard of Norwich for the International Exhibition at South Kensington in 1862. With some modifications, including the addition of the panel on the fireback, the gates were given by the people of Norfolk to the Prince and Princess of Wales (later King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra) as a wedding gift in 1863. The design on the fireback was impressed into the mould from a panel originally used in the casting of the gates. Lot 183, Dreweatts sale, Newbury, 5 June 2019.

Arms: City of Norwich, Borough of Great Yarmouth, Borough of King's Lynn, Borough of Thetford, County of Norfolk

Description: Arched rectangular central panel with indented arch at bottom; bead within double fillet edging; shield, helm, crest and supporters of Bruce, of Duffryn, Glamorgan; 'Fuimus' inscription above crest; motto in rectangular panel below arms; arched rectangular border with fillet edging; scrolled tendril decoration all round, except at centre bottom where is inserted crowned 'A' between halves of date; mirrored scrolls above shoulders of plate.

Notes: A modern plate in traditional style; the arms are of Henry Campbell Bruce (1851-1929), the second baron, who succeeded to the title in 1895.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: FVIMVS [We have been] / OFNER NA OFNE ANGAV [Fear him who does not fear death] / 19 A 06

Arms: Henry Campbell Bruce, 2nd Baron Aberdare

Description: Arched rectangular central panel with cavetto-moulded edging; standing female figure holding a bunch of lowers in her left hand and a pot of flowers in her ight hand; to her left a ribbed, two-handled vase of tulips, to her right a fountain with a seated figure of Neptune/Poseidon holding a trident in the right hand; the words, Fruhling, split by the figure; above, clouds; on top a scallop shell between two descending sea serpents.

Notes: An iconic personification of Spring. Formerly at Swanborough Manor, Sussex.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: FRVH LING

Description: Rectangular with arched, mirrored, scrolls on top, a cartouche scallop shell between; fillet edging; between two trees, three soldiers in Roman dress, holding either pikes, swords or shields, one on a plinth; at the bottom, a separate rectangular panel with mirrored scrolled foliage.

Notes: Possibly intended to represent the Horatii who, according to Livy, defeated the Curiatii.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Description: Arched rectangular shape with arch; bead-on-fillet edging within a cavetto-moulded border; pictorial representation of a man and woman in the dress of the mid 17th century, with a fruit tree between them.

Notes: The significance of this design has not been satisfactorily explained. Carpentier suggests it may be a contemporary depiction of Adam and Eve.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Description: Rectangular, cavetto moulded edging; Stuart royal shield, garter, supporters and crown.

Notes: Four clear vertical plank lines indicate that the pattern for this fireback was formed of a series of boards probably secured by horizontal battens on the rear.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE

Arms: English Stuart royal

Description: Rectangular; flanged fillet edging; single date stampo above a pictorial scene showing the cricifixion with members of the Holy family, soldiers and onllokers surrounding the three crosses; kinscription betlow separating a separate pictorial panel illegible through corrosion; a single letter 'I' in top right corner.

Notes: A characteristic stove-plate of the period.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: 1574 I / INRI / MATTEUS AM 27 CAPITEL

Description: Rectangular; flanged edging; two panels, each with fillet edging; upper panel, two shields, each with helm and crest, between narrow twisted columns, with tracery above and a twisted horizontal pole on top; lower panel, same shields and twisted columns with a crossed vine design above and the same pole on top.

Notes: Probably arms of locksmiths' and masons' guilds.