- Home
- Decor
- Room Accents & Accessories
- Fireplace Accessories
- Firebacks
- Large Antique French Iron Fireback, Nicolas Fouqu…
Or save it to favorites and we'll tell you if this item goes on sale!
- Get the Chairish App
- to view in your space
Large Antique French Iron Fireback, Nicolas Fouquet, Vaux-Le-Vicomte 17th/18th C
- Get the Chairish App
- to view in your space
Details
Description
After a fireback once commissioned by Nicolas Fouquet, for his Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, this large iron fireback was cast in …
more
After a fireback once commissioned by Nicolas Fouquet, for his Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, this large iron fireback was cast in France during the late 1600s/early 1700s (the original was from 1661). Fouquet was a powerful financial advisor in the 17th century, with close ties to both Cardinals Richelieu and Mazarin, as well as Louis XIV himself. At the young age of 19, Fouquet was appointed by Richelieu as “councilor of the Parliament of Metz”, an important city in northeast France. Fouquet would eventually rise to become Superintendent of Finances (Surintendant des finances) of France until he was imprisoned by Louis XIV in 1661 (Fouquet’s extravagant displays of wealth conflicted with the heavy debt incurred by the crown, causing Louis XIV to believe that Fouquet was embezzling). Interestingly, Fouquet was arrested unsuspectingly by d’Artagnan, who would later be fictionalized in the Alexandre Dumas novel, Les Trois Mousquetaires (known in English as The Three Musketeers).
Our large and thick fireback features military and musical motifs flanking an oval coat of arms medallion. The overall shape of the fireback is rectangular, with an arched top that is filled by an open crown that tops the heraldic display, which consists of a banded husked wreath surrounding four scrolled “F’s” that are pierced by an arrow. There is a crinkled ribbon at the bottom that folds over the wreath and trails down below. On the right side of the medallion is a five-string lyre in front of laurel and acanthus leaves. To the left of the coat of arms is a crested helmet over a sword sheath, once again fronting two distinct foliate branches. The entire grouping is surrounded by two borders that follow the overall shape of the iron: spiral fluting inside a series of repeating roundels.
Firebacks have been used for centuries to not only protect the walls of fireplaces, but to redirect heat back into the house. Our large 18th century fireback can still be used in that capacity. It can also be inserted into a wall, making for a unique piece of decorative art. Another potential use is to mount the fireback in the kitchen as a stove backsplash.
*Please make note of fireback size and exceptional thickness (very heavy). The original 1661 fireback can be seen today in Chateau Vaux-le-Vicomte in Madame Fouquet’s cabinet.
less
- Dimensions
- 37.75ʺW × 2.75ʺD × 33ʺH
- Styles
- French
- Period
- Late 18th Century
- Country of Origin
- France
- Item Type
- Vintage, Antique or Pre-owned
- Materials
- Cast Iron
- Iron
- Condition
- Good Condition, Original Condition Unaltered, Some Imperfections
- Color
- Chocolate
- Condition Notes
- Good antique condition, with light buildup and oxidation. Fleabites and some lightly faded elements, particularly near the bottom, commensurate with … moreGood antique condition, with light buildup and oxidation. Fleabites and some lightly faded elements, particularly near the bottom, commensurate with age and use. Heavy item. less
Need more product details?
Shipping Options
Standard Returns & Cancellations
Return Policy - All sales are final 48 hours after delivery, unless otherwise specified in the description of the product.
Extended Return for Trade
- Expands return window for trade members to 14 days (12 days more than our standard return policy)
- Trade member to notify Chairish of intent to return within 14 days of item delivery
- Buyer refunded item cost. Buyer pays return shipping cost
- Does not apply to damages that occur post-delivery
Questions about the item?
Related Collections
Returns
- Does not arrive
- Is broken during transit
- Is entirely different than what you purchased
- Some made-to-order items and a limited selection of other items (noted as non-refundable in the returns and cancellations section of the product description)
-
Orders where Free Local Pickup or Seller Managed Local Delivery were selected:
- Upon inspection, If you decide not to move forward with the purchase, you or your agent must refuse the item at the time of pickup/delivery from the seller
- Once you have taken possession of the item, all sales are final
- International, cross-border returns may require different processes depending on the countries between which the item is shipping to/from, and the buyer is responsible and duties (if applicable, on cross-border orders).
- On approved returns, the buyer is responsible for the full cost of return packing and shipping.
Cancellations
- Prior to shipping or local pickup, buyers may cancel an order for any reason, with the exception of some Made-to-Order items, where supplies have been purchased or work begun on the item.
- Please notify us within 24 hours of purchase if you would like to cancel an order, as prompt cancellation will reduce the likelihood that you will incur return shipping charges.
- Once shipping or pickup has been initiated, the cancellation will be considered a return and you will be responsible for the cost of shipping.
Shipping
Note: Made-to-Order items typically include a lead time or custom delivery window that is added to the delivery time.
- Chairish Express In-Home Delivery
- Chairish Express In-Home deliveries are currently only offered for international cross-border shipments.
- The item will be delivered to your home and placed in the desired room. The delivery service includes unpacking, inspecting, and removing packaging materials; and does not include installation or setting up the item.
- Shipping charges start at $999 and vary based on the size, weight, packaging, and/or the value of the item.
- Deliveries can take anywhere from 6 to 9 weeks to be delivered.
- Chairish Freight Delivery
- Delivered in a crate, to your front door.
- You will need tools and/or equipment to open the crate.
- Shipping charges start at $799 and vary based on the size, weight, packaging, and/or the value of the item.
- Chairish Freight deliveries can take anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks.
- Only available in selected markets.
- Chairish In-Home Delivery
- The item will be delivered to your home and placed in the desired room. The delivery service includes unpacking, inspecting, and removing packaging materials; and does not include installation or setting up the item.
-
Shipping charges start at $149 and based on the size and the distance between pickup and delivery
(for approximate values see table):
Delivery Type Within 50 miles radius Within 1,500 miles radius Over 1,500 miles radius International Cross-Border Shipping Price $149 - $299 $199 - $799 $449 - $899 Over $899 Transit Time 2 to 4 weeks 3 to 6 weeks 4 to 8 weeks 12 to 17 weeks - For some items, the shipping price may vary depending on the size, weight, material and/or value of the item.
- Free Local Pickup
- Local pickup allows customers to inspect an item at the time of pickup and avoid shipping costs.
- Following purchase, a confirmation email is sent to the email address associated with the order, and includes: Pickup Verification & Seller's contact information
- Please contact the seller within 5 days to coordinate pickup
- Once the item has been picked up (by you or your representative) it cannot be returned or refunded.
- Free Shipping
- Free shipping may be offered on select listings.
- Smaller items are typically delivered within 2 weeks of the purchase date, while larger items and furniture may take up to 6 weeks for delivery.
- When an item with Free Shipping is returned, the cost of return shipping fees will be charged to the buyer.
- Parcel Delivery
- Shipment is arranged through recognized carriers such as UPS, FedEx, and DHL.
- Only pieces that can be safely packed in a box or envelope may be shipped via parcel.
- Shipping charges start at $9 — and vary based on the size, weight, packaging and the value of the item.
Delivery Type US Domestic International Cross-Border Shipping Price $9 - $99 $39 - $499 Transit Time 1 to 2 weeks 2 to 4 weeks - Seller Managed Delivery
- Shipping is offered and managed by the seller, through a shipper of the seller’s choice.
- Available on items at the seller’s discretion.
- Seller Managed Local Delivery
- Local curbside delivery is offered and managed by the seller, within a limited geography.
- Following purchase, a confirmation email is sent to the confirmation email address associated with the order, and includes: Pickup Verification Code & Seller’s contact information
- Please contact the seller within 5 days to coordinate delivery.
The Chairish Buyer Guarantee
Make an Offer
Fees and shipping costs will be calculated in the next step
Have questions about how offers work? Learn more or .
Flag this comment for moderation?