Fireplace Mantels > Firebacks
Rare fireback with a system for embers and ashes. (Reference 9123)
Rare fireback with ember gatherer.
Large cast iron fireback with a Religious décor. The traces of three rows of pompons on either side of the shield lead us to believe the coat of arms was a bishop’s. The bishop’s initials are also apparent: an intermingled C and an M.
The cartouche is flanked by several religious images: a traditional symbol of Christ, the pelican feeding its guts to its young; the word "Charitas" one of the three divine virtues; the monogram of Christ IHS. Cherubs above Hercules columns are also Christian symbols representing the limit between the world of men and God and the whole fireback is a starlit sky, symbol of the realm of Heaven.
On the top, the date 1701 was engraved through the technique of placing broken bits of wood in the mold. This kind of fireback with a rectangular hole on the bottom was used either to heat an adjoining room without using extra wood, or to evacuate the embers directly through to the basement.
Origin
Dated 1701.
Dimensions
| Width | Height | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5' 3'' 160cm |
4' '' ⅞ 124cm |