Firebacks

826mm wide

  1. 152

    hastings_035.jpg
    826 x 559 mm

    Description: Rectangular; plain plate; rectangular panel of diagonal concentric square diaper, repeated twice along base and once on end between; top row of three alternating hexagonal stamps and four double crosses flory; middle row of ?six double crosses flory with a central rose; bottom row of four hexagons.

    Notes: A crude and poorly executed casting.

    Manufactured: in the mid 16th 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: HASMG: 1911.60.8 (part of the Hastings Museum museum group)

    Citation: Butterfield, W. R., 1916, 'Old Wealden Firebacks', The Connoisseur, 46, pp. 197-209.

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

  2. 919

    singleton,_weald and downland open air museum 03.jpg
    826 x 686 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; rope edging (top and sides); undulating floriate design across top of rectangle, below which are alternating roses (4) and ?crowned cross stamps (5); the same cross and rose stamps decorate the arch, three crosses on each side of a rose at the top; at the base of the arch is a row of four stamps formed of a double figure-of-eight joined by opposed concave curves; the same stamps (3), rotated 90 degrees, are arranged in a row down the left side of the plate.

    Notes: Similar undulating floriate designs have been seen on late-medieval and sixteenth century stools, suggesting a possible source. A fireback with the same loop stamps bears the same date using the same numerals but impressed in reverse. Unusually, the decoration down the left side is not repeated down the right side.

    Inscription: 1594

    Manufactured: in 1594 in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Weald and Downland Living Museum, Singleton, West Sussex, England.

    (part of the Weald and Downland Living Museum museum group)