Cast Iron Plaque with Figures in High Relief

Hi - This cast iron plaque is about 13 x 17 inches with figures in high relief. It has 4 holes at the corners and the back has the number 217. Looks old to me.

What do you think about age and origin, and was it mounted on something specific? I saw other cast iron plaques with figures, but nothing with 4 holes.

Thanks for any help.

 

Looks something like a fire(place) back - but what an odd subject to be looking at through flames ....................though I suppose it would appeal to some............

 

I "think" 13" x 17" might be a bit small for a fire(place) back, even given smaller residential fireplaces of many years ago.

I wonder if this might have been a wall plaque for an educational or commercial music school perhaps. Might have been attached to a wall beside the entry door to a music school. Or, perhaps, it was on the outside of a large building at the main entry door to show passersby that a music school was inside the building.

In the oldest part of my city's uptown and downtown areas there are still several buildings which have such plaques attached to (or even embedded in) the outside walls of old buildings at the street-side entrance, especially plaques for old pharmacies which all feature some form of an old apothecary figure/symbol.

 

P.S. I like it very much -- it is quite sweet and appealing.

 

Hi,
Just a thought, since the sides are set in and holed perhaps it was screwed into a wooden frame or paneling from a fireplace or wall. I do not see it as a fireback.JMHO
greg

 

Thanks for your thoughts, everyone. I was not aware of fire backs, so looking at all the fire backs was very helpful to me, though I think this is probably too small for that.

 

I can picture it in the entryway or facade of an old building. Very charming!

 

WAG -- something to cover a flue hole in the wall? Like from a stove?

 

Those weren't usually fastened down, as when you want to hook up the stove again, you needed to be able to get to the flue hole.
If I remember correctly, flue covers were to cover that hole when summer came, and you didn't need to use the wood stove for heating.

 

You know me, Messi, just flapping my gums, er, fingers again!

 

Looked around using the term "erotes" for the cupid-like things and got nuttin'

 

Think of objects which traditionally had ceramic tiles inset for decoration-maybe something like a Victorian hall stand-maker tried something a bit different. I think the plaque would have looked great when mounted vertically in the upper part of an elaborately-carved walnut hall stand.