Firebacks

720mm wide

  1. 981

    ickenham,_swakeleys house.jpg
    ~720 x ~990 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; fillet edging; broad, fillet-edged central panel with pictorial landscape and battle scene; 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: The pictorial scene is alleged to be the Siege of Namur of 1695 in which British and Dutch forces, under the leadership of William III, defeated the French forces of Louis XIV, however details of the scene more closely resemble those seen in images of the Siege of Vienna in 1683, an iconic victory of the Christian powers over the Ottoman Turks.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: NON[...]ROSEDARMIS / N ANNO 1695 L

    Manufactured: in 1695 possibly in the Siegerland area of Germany.

    Current location: Swakeley's House, Ickenham, Middlesex, England.

    Citation: Godfrey, W. H., 1933, Survey of London Monograph 13, Swakeleys, Ickenham (London, HMSO).

  2. 1172

    kensal_green,_retrouvius_a.jpg
    720 x 410 mm

    Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging (top and sides); to each side, two saltires formed of crossed lengths of twisted rope; in between, and repeated seven times, a circular stamp decorated in low relief with a central disc perforated in the centre, surrounded by a circle inside a square looped at each corner, the sides of which are echoed twice on each side; the stamps are arranged in two rows, of three and four, in the upper part of the plate.

    Notes: A boldly cast fireback with an excrescence top centre caused by disturbance of the casting sand by the pouring of the iron.

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

    Current location: Retrouvius, 1016 Harrow Road, Kensal Green, Brent, London, England.

  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. 1136

    swansea,_national museum of wales 01a.jpg
    >720 x >465 mm

    Description: Fragment; rectangular; twisted rope edging; top centre, date [1]647; top right, initials FAB in triad, A below F and B.

    Notes: The initials were probably mirrored on the left side. Acquired from a location at Tintern, Monmouthshire. A fireback of near identical design and provenance was noted by David Bick at Poolway House, Coleford, Gloucestershire (Gloucs. Archives D9104).

    Inscription: 647 FAB [triad]

    Manufactured: in 1647 probably at Tintern Furnace in the Forest of Dean area of Wales.

    Current location: National Museum Wales, National Collections Centre, Heol Crochendy, Parc Nantgarw, Nantgarw, Glamorgan, Wales.

    Museum number: 73.25I (part of the National Museum Wales museum group)

  5. 982

    unknown_82 720x900.jpg
    720 x 900 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape with demi-bullnose edging (top and sides); 'AD' curved in arch, with straight date below; central letter 'H' in the form of a horse's bit, with initials 'F' and 'J' respectively above and below; two lengths of rope with tasselled ends looped and tied symmetrically around the 'H' and on each side.

    Notes: A finely moulded personal fireback with an equestrian connection.

    Inscription: AD / 1909 / HFJ

    Manufactured: in 1909 in England.

    Current location: not known.

  6. 727

    va_02.jpg
    720 x 460 mm

    Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging (top and sides); canted rope lengths across top corners; three impressions of a rondel dagger (c. 410mm) with a baluster-turned grip, the middle one per fess, pommel in chief, the other two on either side, per bend, points in chief.

    Notes: The arrangement of daggers is similar to the arms of Vigures, of Launceston, Cornwall, but inverted; the plate has been pierced on each side for fixing to the back of the fireplace; the dagger (length approx. 41cm) may be of German design.

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

    Current location: Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, Kensington & Chelsea, Greater London, England.

    Museum number: 896.1901 (part of the Victoria & Albert Museum museum group)

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

    Citation: Hodgkinson, J. S., 2012, 'Pre-Restoration Iron Firebacks', Journal of the Antique Metalware Society, 20, pp. 2-15.