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Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
British Galleries, Room 58, Bromley-by-Bow Room

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.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Cast iron
Dimensions
  • Height: 60.5cm
  • Width: 32.5cm
  • Depth: 53cm
Dimensions checked: measured; 24/03/2000 by DW
Marks and inscriptions
Cast with the name Wyllam Man"
Gallery label
British Galleries: Fire dogs held the logs off the hearth, allowing air to get underneath them, which was necessary if the logs were to burn well. The chimney-piece and hearth were naturally the focus of attention in an age when the fire provided both heat and light. In 1576 William Man was choosing a fashionable Renaissance design for his new dogs, with the uprights in the form of classical columns.(27/03/2003)
Object history
Made in England
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.
Collection
Accession number
M.1A-1985

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Record createdApril 28, 2003
Record URL
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