English: Fireback

1550-1600
Cast iron
Sussex
John Harvo

Cast with the Tudor royal arms, the initials E.R. and the motto \'DU ET MOUN DROI(T)\' and \'HONY SOIT QUE MAL Y PANCE\'; cast in Gothic letters \'Made in Sussex by John Harvo\'

Decorated slabs of cast iron were placed at the back of fireplaces in order to protect the brickwork and radiate heat. In this one the central panel is decorated with complicated heraldic designs, while the borders have simple patterns. The royal arms are those used by the Tudor sovereigns, with a dragon and a greyhound as supporters.

The fireback was made by a process known as sand casting, in which molten iron was poured into a sand mould. The mould was made by placing a carved model - usually made of wood, of rectangular shape - face down onto flat, damp sand set into the foundry floor. The model was gently hammered down until it was embedded in the sand. It was then removed, leaving its impression in the sand. The iron, heated until it was liquid, was poured into this mould and left to cool. The end product was an iron slab, patterned on one side.