Fireback, with the royal arms of the Stuart sovereigns, the initials CR - the monogram of King Charles I, and the motto of the English crown, DIEU ET MON DROIT, cast iron, England, 1635

Cast iron fireback, with the royal arms of the Stuart sovereigns, the initials CR - the monogram of King Charles I, and the motto of the English crown, DIEU ET MON DROIT

Firebacks were used at the back of fireplaces, and served both to throw the heat of the fire forward into a room and to protect the stonework or brickwork behind them.

A large number of firebacks produced during the late 16th and 17th centuries included royal coats of arms and are known as armorial firebacks. The number of different designs in the Tudor period was modest compared with the Stuart, during which 'C R' (Carolus Rex) was used in the reigns of both Charles I and Charles II. In the case of this fireback, the inclusion of '1635' in the design dates it to the reign of the former.

The museum is grateful for images and information supplied by the researcher and author, Jeremy Hodgkinson FSA, 30 March 2022

The patterns on firebacks were created by pressing one or more pattern-moulds into a bed of sand. After removing the moulds from the bed of sand, the liquid iron was then poured into the impression left by the pattern-mould and allowed to cool. Iron to be used for casting had to be heated to liquid form, which required a very high temperature. It is not known exactly when this became technically possible, but it was probably in the course of the 15th century.

795-1896