Firedog
1576 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
Firedogs are designed to stand on either side of the fireplace and hold burning logs above the floor to allow an updraft. Wrought iron firedogs survive from the Iron Age and the basic design has remained unchanged. Until the early 16th century firedogs were usually made of wrought iron but records confirm that from the 1540s onward cast iron firedogs were produced in great numbers.
Materials & Making
This firedog is of cast iron, a material first used in Europe around 1400 for military purposes. In Britain, military and domestic objects were being made from this material by around 1500. Using cast iron to make firedogs was cheaper and quicker than using wrought iron and it had the advantage of making the mass production of a single design possible.
People
The inscription on this firedog, 'Wyllam Man', probably refers to the name of the owner rather than the maker.
Firedogs are designed to stand on either side of the fireplace and hold burning logs above the floor to allow an updraft. Wrought iron firedogs survive from the Iron Age and the basic design has remained unchanged. Until the early 16th century firedogs were usually made of wrought iron but records confirm that from the 1540s onward cast iron firedogs were produced in great numbers.
Materials & Making
This firedog is of cast iron, a material first used in Europe around 1400 for military purposes. In Britain, military and domestic objects were being made from this material by around 1500. Using cast iron to make firedogs was cheaper and quicker than using wrought iron and it had the advantage of making the mass production of a single design possible.
People
The inscription on this firedog, 'Wyllam Man', probably refers to the name of the owner rather than the maker.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Cast iron |
| Brief description | Firedog, cast iron, England, 1576 |
| Physical description | Firedog made of cast iron, with the inscription WYLLAM MAN. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | Cast with the name "Wyllam Man" and the date "1576" (most likely the owner) |
| Gallery label |
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| Object history | The firedog may be a later casting of an old pattern. |
| Production | Dated 1576 |
| Summary | Object Type Firedogs are designed to stand on either side of the fireplace and hold burning logs above the floor to allow an updraft. Wrought iron firedogs survive from the Iron Age and the basic design has remained unchanged. Until the early 16th century firedogs were usually made of wrought iron but records confirm that from the 1540s onward cast iron firedogs were produced in great numbers. Materials & Making This firedog is of cast iron, a material first used in Europe around 1400 for military purposes. In Britain, military and domestic objects were being made from this material by around 1500. Using cast iron to make firedogs was cheaper and quicker than using wrought iron and it had the advantage of making the mass production of a single design possible. People The inscription on this firedog, 'Wyllam Man', probably refers to the name of the owner rather than the maker. |
| Bibliographic reference | Conway, M. Old English Firedogs. Apollo. March 1945. pp.77-79. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.1-1985 |
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| Record created | March 27, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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