n of England, accompanied by
the emblems appearing on the Royal arms in the seventeenth century; the
Tudor rose crowned, the Scottish thistle, and the French fleur-de-lis
indicative of the throne of France to which English sovereigns then laid
some claim. The date of this fine back is 1649. Fig. 7 is of an earlier
period, being dated 1588, beneath which are the initials "I.F.C." There
are also roses and fleurs-de-lis, as well as anchors and other emblems.
The back shown in Fig. 12 has for its design the Royal arms surrounded
by the Garter, and the initials "C.R.," a design which was duplicated
very extensively soon after the Restoration. It will be noticed that the
Royal arms formed the design of the Sussex back shown in position in
Fig. 1. Some of the German and Dutch designs are very curious, many of
them representing scriptural subjects, like Moses and the brazen
serpent; the death of Absalom; the temptation of Joseph; and the
often-repeated story of the Garden of Eden.

In the American museums there are some very interesting examples of
foundry work; some of the cast backs, evidently modelled on German or
Dutch designs, take the form of stove-plates, including both front and
side plates, mostly bearing dates in the middle of the eighteenth
century. Pennsylvania was the chief district in which these plates were
made, some being cast by William Siegel, who went to America from
Germany in 1758, and erected what was known as the Berkshire furnace. A
curious early stove-plate in an American collection, dated 1736, has
upon it a scene known as "the dance after the wedding." It is said to
have been used in the front of what was known as the German wall-warming
stove.

In form the Sussex shape is usually rectangular--that is, wider than its
height. It would appear as if the back was at first moulded from a
wooden plate, the crest, initials, or design being then impressed by
movable moulds or stamps, generally of wood. These were irregularly
placed, consequently crowns, roses, crosses, family badges, and all
kinds of emblems were dotted promiscuously over the plate. Some of the
plain plates with cable-twist borders were probably used as hearthstones
and not as backs. The styles which were gradually developed were chiefly
on the same lines as those which became popular in France. Their use
lingered long in that country for until recently in many an old family
mansion might have been seen a _plaque de cheminee_, on which was