Fireback with medallion of anchor, axe and cannon balls - firebacks

Description

Beautiful cast iron fireback celebrating the navy in the Louis XIV style from the second half of the 17th century. Two putti each holding a palm leaf stand on either side of a medallion that bears an anchor, a privateer’s ax and six canon balls. The kedge anchor, said to be invented by the Greek Anacharsis, served ships until the last century. The privateer’s ax, with a short handle, a head bearing a hook, was worn on the belt and used as a boarding weapon and as a tool to climb the hulls and ropes. Balls on chains were generally used to destroy the rigging, but full canon balls like the ones depicted here were used to damage the hull. A crowned Phoenix with lightning in its claws stands above the medallion. Behind the putti stand hybrid animals with eagle heads, flowering branches in their beak. A backdrop of foliage and flowers completes the ornamentation of this fireback, which has a strong relief and bold design.