This neoclassical, French, c.1765 Diana Bathing fireback costs £600, measures 2ft (63cm) square and will be with Yorkshire dealer Elly Burdett at the Harrogate fair on November 4-5.
The earliest firebacks date from the 15th century, the early days of iron casting. These were placed against the back wall of a fireplace, an important feature when that wall was made of wattle and daub or soft stone.
Early firebacks were decorated with simple designs of everyday objects such as rope, food moulds and furniture fragments. Later designs were formed from carved wooden stamps, and entire wooden patterns or models gradually became more widely used, often displaying coats of arms of royalty, scenes from the Bible and aristocracy. These firebacks carried mythological and allegorical subjects, as well as scenes from nature.