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Fire back
unknown - Enlarge image
Fire back
- Place of origin:
England, Great Britain (made)
- Date:
1649 (made)
- Artist/Maker:
unknown (production)
- Materials and Techniques:
Cast iron
- Museum number:
M.119-1984
- Gallery location:
British Galleries, room 56d, case WE
Object Type
This rectangular fireback dates from 1649. In order to protect the brickwork, slabs of cast iron like this one were placed on the wall at the back of the fireplace, where they also served to radiate heat into the room.
Subjects Depicted
The image of a snake rising from flames to bite an outstretched hand refers to a passage from the Bible (Acts 28: 3-6) which describes St Paul being shipwrecked on the island of Malta. On landing he lit a fire and as he did so a viper emerged from the flames and bit him. The people of Malta took this to mean that Paul was a murderer but when they saw that he was unhurt they realised that he must be holy.
Iconography
Fireback decoration often included stories involving fire, but sometimes there was also a political theme. As this example is dated 1649 the choice of subject matter may refer to the execution of Charles I. The same design appears in G. Whitney's A choice of Emblemes (Leyden, 1586) with the title 'If God be with us, who can be against us?', and with the following verse appended: 'His servauntes God preserves, thoughe they in danger fall: Even as from vipers deadlie bite, he kept th'Appostle Paule.'
