RELIGIOUS ATTRIBUTION OF EARLY FRANCHE-COMTÉ FIREPLACE PLAQUES OF THE 16th – THE BEGINNING OF THE 17th CENTURIES

Abstract

The purpose of the research is to conduct a comprehensive study and systematise the cast-iron fireplace plaques from the Franche-Comté region of the 16th – the beginning of the 17th centuries, to analyse their symbolism, identify links with the specific religious orders and communities, and demonstrate the role of these artefacts as a source for understanding religious beliefs and the influence of monasteries on the metallurgy. The methodology of the research is based on the systematisation of all known dated plaques from the region, the iconographic, heraldic and stylistic analysis of the reliefs, and the comparison with monastic charters, known armorials and archival materials. In the study there has been used iconographic and historical contextual analysis of the fireplace plaques production in the blast furnaces of Upper Saône in the study. The scientific novelty consists in the first specialised attribution of the plaques from the Franche-Comté region. There was debunked a myth regarding the automatic attribution of the plaques featuring the globus cruciger motif to the Carthusian Order (Ordo Cartusiensis) in the 16th century – by demonstrating that the key element of the Great Chartreuse Coat of Arms – the seven stars – only appeared only from the end of the 17th century onwards. For the first time it has been determined that: the moline (or ʼanchorʼ) cross on the 1558 plaque indicates the Cistercian abbeys; the oval Coat of Arms on the 1616 plaque from Avanne belongs to the parish priest Jean Brury of the Order of Malta; the image of a young man in a felt hat on the 1558 plaque is likely St Vernier, the local patron saint of the winemaking. There have been introduced new dates (1501, 1507, 1522, 1555, 1595) and interpretations into the scientific discourse, enabling the reconstruction of iron casting production dynamics and religious practices in the region.

Conclusions: the fireplace plaques of Franche-Comté are a unique source that combines religious (apotropaic), political, and domestic symbolism. The Cross of St. Andrew served a protective function and, at the same time, emphasised the national identity of the Comtois; the globus cruciger was interpreted primarily as a symbol of Christʼs dominion over the world, rather than exclusively as a Carthusian symbol. The monasteries (the Cistercians and, to some extent, the Carthusians) were considered to be the pioneers of the plaque production, but direct attribution of the tiles is possible only where a complete heraldic ensemble is present. The plaque production is primarily interpreted as a symbol of Christʼs dominion over the world, and it clearly correlates with periods of peace and economic prosperity, and ceases entirely during wars (for example, 1595, 1636 – 1650). The elite nature of the early plaque (commissioned by the nobility, abbeys, and parish priests) was demonstrated, highlighting their value for the preservation of the cultural heritage of Franche-Comté and for the broader study of European material culture of the 16th – 17th centuries.

Key words: cast-iron fireplace plaques, Franche-Comté, County of Burgundy, heraldry, apotropaic symbolism.