very impressive c. 1880's original and largely intact antique american ornamental cast iron black enameled oversized fireback designed and fabricated by the peerless mfg. co., louisville, ky. the heavy cast iron panel features a stunning panel with the roman sea god neptune battling a mythological sea creature. the surrounding edged contain a gridded design configuration with multiple squares containing geometric shapes. the oversized fireback was salvaged from a chicago mansion constructed in the latter half of the 19th century. the fireback originally consisted of three panels, but the two flanking panels were not found with the central panel. the black enameled finish is mostly uniform throughout. the bottom section does contain a hairline crack. oversized figural firebacks are becoming increasingly hard to find as most fell victim to the scrap drives of the world wars. 25 1/4 inches x 1/2 inch x 29 1/2 inches.