Fireback
Firebacks are cast-iron plates , usually decorated with reliefs (e.g. coats of arms ), which were attached to the back wall of an open fireplace. On the one hand, they protected the masonry from the fire, but on the other hand they also reflected the heat forward so that it benefited the space in front of the fireplace. In addition, the iron stored the heat of the fire and gave it off even after it had gone out.
The first firebacks, along with stove tops and take plates (with which they are often confused), appeared in the late 15th century. They are usually roughly square, unlike oven and take plates, they sometimes have a semicircular or curved top. Firebacks are currently popular collector's items that are traded as antiques , but it is not advisable to use them in their original function, as the surface with the relief is permanently damaged by the fire. As a substitute, the often-made casts of old plates are a good choice.
Today, the term fireback is sometimes incorrectly used as a term for base plates made of metal or glass, which serve as protection under a fireplace on flammable floor coverings .
literature
- Karlheinz von den Driesch: Handbook of the stove, fireplace and Taken plates in the Rhineland. Series of works and living. Folklore studies in the Rhineland (Volume 17). Cologne 1990.
