Cast Iron Fireplace Stoves From the Kingdom of France in the Late 15th and Early 16th Centuries: Climatic, Economic and Cultural Contexts

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to study and describe fireplace cast-iron slabs of the end of the 15th – beginning of the 16th centuries, originating from the Kingdom of France: to determine the style, technical aspects of production, as well as the cultural and historical contexts that influenced the development and distribution of fireplace stoves. Methodology. During the preparation of the article, the basic principles of historical and cultural knowledge were used. In particular, the author uses epigraphy to decode and interpret inscriptions and symbols on firebacks, structural analysis to determine the physical characteristics of the plate, contextual analysis, mapping and dating. Scientific novelty. The work is devoted to the study and description of a number of fireplace slabs that were made at the end of the 15th – beginning of the 16th centuries in the Kingdom of France. These hearthstones are unique, as they are not included in any currently known catalog of French heraldic hearthstones. In particular, the places of their probable manufacture were investigated, the socio-economic context of the region of origin was described, and the climatic conditions that became one of the reasons for the appearance of firebacks in various regions of Western Europe during the Late Middle Ages were described. Conclusions. Conclusions. The appearance of the first cast iron plates coincided with the period at the end of the Late Middle Ages, when the «Sperer minimum» – a cold period in Europe, caused by explosive volcanism and a decrease in solar radiation. Today, cast-iron fireplace slabs can serve as one of the proxy sources, i.e., indirect sources, and evidence of climate changes in the Late Middle Ages and Early Modern times. Based on the studies of firebacks, it is possible to follow the stages of the development of the iron ore industry and how the appearance and decoration of firebacks changed as they became increasingly used in the homes of the nobility and farmers, and also as in abbeys in Western Europe.