Private Collection of Norwegian Stoves

The golden days of Norwegian iron stoves began in the 1660's and the earliest known Norwegian stove was probably cast 1620-40 at Fossum Ironworks, but ironworks have been operating in Norway as early as the 1530's.

The cast-iron stove had two distinct purposes. One was the basic and practical purpose of generating heat. The other was the purpose of disseminating secular and profane information.

The artistic quality would vary from an excellent command of classical academic idiom to the more naïve, but most vivid descriptions of village life.

The illustrations, sculpted in iron, on these stoves were an early form of decorative art that tells us a lot about the tendencies in the various layers of society at the time.

One of the masterpieces in the collection is a Norwegian cast-iron stove with portraits in profile of King Frederik IV and Queen Louise inscribed "Vivat Frederick and Louisa". It dates from 1698 and was cast at Fritzøe - one of the most important and, later, one of the most profitable Norwegian ironworks.

Moving a little further up in time we find a tall Norwegian cast-iron stove from 1788, a beautiful exponent of the Louis XVI era, with Count Ahlefeldt-Laurvig's arms, vase and festoons. Finally, there is the Norwegian Empire cast-iron "column stove", probably designed by Eggert Løvenskiold and cast at Holden Werk around 1820.

In addition, a smaller selection of jubilee and designer stoves etc. by sculptor Eduard Frants Eggeling (1869-1945) among others, and various accessories such as sets of fire irons and fenders.