Style Other / Ref.13565

Fireback with the coat of arms of Henri Charles de La Trémoïlle, 17th century

Dimensions
Width 25'' ¼  64cm
Height 30'' ¼  77cm
Depth: 1'' ⅝  4cm

Origin:
17th century.

Status:
Good condition.

This beautiful antique fireback was cast in the 17th century. It is adorned with the coat of arms of Henri Charles de la Trémoïlle (1620-1672) surmounted by a Duke crown and supported by two lions. Born on December, 17th 1620 in Thouars and dead on Septembre, 14th 1672, Henri Charles de la Trémoïlle or Henri II de la Trémoïlle, 4th Duke of Thouars, Prince of Talmont then Prince of Tarente, Count of Taillebourg, of Benon and of Jonvelle, baron of Vitré and pair de France on January, 20th 1656, was a French war man.
His father was Henri de La Trémoïlle (1598-1674) and his mother, Marie de La Tour d'Auvergne (1601-1665) of whom the coat of arms are represented on the second and third quarter of his coat of arms.

When he was 18 years old, he learnt how to fight with his uncle, the Prince of Orange. Then married, ten years later, in 1648, Amélie de Hesse-Cassel (daughter of Guillaume V of Hesse-Cassel). Converted with his father to the Catholicism, his mother convinced him to convert again to Protestantism when at legal age. Thus, in Octobre 1651, he's involved in the Fronde against Mazarin and openly support Condé. He was writing to Cromwell and received from him letters giving him the assurance of his fervour and encouraging him to be loyal until the end. Arrested in Amiens, in 1656, his mother, who kept good relation with the court, obtained his freedom after several month of detention. He dies two years before his father, in 1672, thus, it's his eldest son Charles Belgique Hollande (1655-1709) whoo succeeds to him.

Two others identical firebacks have been indexes till this day, one of them is located in Cossé-le-Vivien in Mayenne (illustrated in Philippe Palasi's book, "Plaques de cheminée héraldiques"), the other is in la Fauconnerie in Ille-et-Vilaine. It seems that these three firebacks were cast in the Port-Brillet foundries, which have been bought by Henri de La Trémoïlle in 1617 and were already active in 1627.

sold