Haardplaat met het wapen van Engeland tussen de letters I en R after 1602

Curator: This fireback, residing here at the Rijksmuseum, dates from after 1602 and is of anonymous origin. Fashioned from metal using relief sculpting techniques, the piece depicts the Coat of Arms of England nestled between the initials 'I' and 'R'. Editor: Immediately, the density strikes me. It's a heavy thing, visually. And something about the starkness, that unrelieved surface—it almost smothers the intricate heraldry. Curator: Its purpose was both functional and symbolic, intended to protect the back wall of a fireplace from the intense heat, while simultaneously declaring the homeowner’s allegiance or aspiration to the English crown. The “I” and “R,” quite probably refer to King James I, "Jacobus Rex" in Latin. Editor: A kind of domestic power play, huh? Imagine that sitting in someone's hearth, all that symbolic weight bearing down on the cozy domestic sphere. Does it make you think about the anxieties around authority and legitimacy at that time? The little flourishes like the lion and the griffin... they become a bit menacing in this context. Curator: The inclusion of the royal coat of arms signifies more than just political alignment. It was a very tangible statement, quite fashionable amongst wealthy merchants, and it underscores the increasing intermingling of mercantile power and aristocratic symbolism during the Baroque era. Editor: Baroque. You know, that explains the almost obsessive level of detail. Look at those swirling flourishes—a desire for ornamentation battling with the rather austere nature of the subject. I almost feel like it would throw fantastic shadows when the fire dances behind it! Curator: These objects offer an interesting window into how the iconography of power seeped into the daily lives of those aspiring to a different status. These kinds of firebacks are cultural objects with significant ties to the political landscape of their time. Editor: Well, thinking about warmth, ambition, and iron all together... It’s not hard to imagine history heating up in someone's fireplace. Now, I won't look at a coat of arms quite the same way!