Fire Cover

The front of this richly decorated fire bell has a medallion of a man in profile, with a hat and lace collar. The date 1596 appears next to his head. The rest of the large fire bell is decorated with decorative and symbolic themes, such as birds, pomegranates, flowers and clover. It suggests that this object may have been a wedding present. In the 17th century house, the smouldering wood fire was covered with a fire bell before retiring to bed, both to protect the interior from fire and to keep the glowing coals burning for as long as possible.