Cast-Iron Fireback in the System of Beliefs and Protection of Household and Family in France from the 15th to the 17th Century
Cast-Iron Fireback in the System of Beliefs and Protection of Household and Family in France from the 15th to the 17th Century

Summary/Abstract: The purpose of the research paper is to study the cast-iron fireback as an element of the medieval system of beliefs and household protection in France from the 15th to the 16th century, its interpretation as an object that combines technical, religious, and cultural dimensions, which makes it possible to reconstruct the worldview of medieval people and their system of protective beliefs.The author analyzes the symbolism of the first generations of cast-iron firebacks, dated to the 15th – 16th centuries, which performed not only aesthetic but also apotropaic functions – protecting the household from evil, natural disasters, diseases, and witchcraft. A correlation between the spread of symbols of Christian and pre-Christian origin (octagram, pentagram, saltire (St. Andrew’s) cross, and Christogram IHS) and the development of the iron industry in the regions of Périgord, Limousin, and Lorraine is traced. Special attention is paid to the technical aspects of casting, the geographical features of Périgord, and the evolution of artistic techniques in the decoration of the firebacks. In the study, French items are compared with their English, Lorraine, and Luxembourg analogues for the first time, allowing us to outline the broader European context of the functioning of apotropaic symbols in everyday life.It has been proven that cast-iron firebacks were not only evidence of a new type of domestic culture formation but also a material reflection of the collective fears and religious consciousness of the era. Iron was perceived as a material with natural protective properties, and its visual decoration was a language of symbols comprehensible to all members of society during that historical period.In technical terms, firebacks attest to the high level of development in blast-furnace production and the formation of a social stratum of wealthy craftsmen who worked with metal, influencing the economic structure of the French provinces. Thus, the cast-iron fireback appears not only as an object for everyday use but as a historical document, in which the religious, cultural, and economic meanings of the era are encoded.The study is based on diverse materials, which makes it possible to outline the cultural role of the cast-iron fireback as the heart of the household – a sacred space where warmth, faith, and protection were combined. The author considers it not only as a technical product but also as a carrier of collective memory and a component of France’s mental history.

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