Rights Holder: Kent County Council
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NAIL CLEANER
Unique ID: KENT-65A2A4
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Published 
A Roman incomplete cast copper alloy nail cleaner of high shoulder type. Mid-late 1st century to perhaps early 2nd century (c. AD 43 - c. AD 125).
This toilet article, in plan, has a leaf-shaped blade with rounded shoulders leading to a narrowed neck which expands to a sub-circular suspension loop. There are two vestigal knops, one on either side of the blade The forked terminal used for cleaning is missing due to an old break. It is generally flat on both faces. However, it is slightly thicker at the neck where it has a maximum thickness of 2.2mm. The minimum width of the neck is 3.5mm and the maximum width of the implement, just below the shoulders, is 13.7mm. The front face has incised groove decoration, although it is too worn to make out the design. The instrument is 40.2mm long and weighs 4.3 grams.
Notes:
This object come from a collection of finds found by a detectorist who searched the spoil from a dredged sewer drain in Sandwich. The material was then given to Dover Museum. No other information is availble on the findspot.
Class:
High shoulder
Sub class: Eckardt and Crummy 2008, 122, fig. 60
Chronology
Broad period: ROMAN
Period from: ROMAN
Period to: ROMAN
Date from: AD 43
Date to: AD 125
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Length: 40.2 mm
Width: 13.7 mm
Thickness: 2.2 mm
Weight: 4.3 g
Personal details
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Materials and construction
Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Struck or hammered
Completeness: Incomplete
Spatial metadata
Region: South East (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Kent (County)
District: Dover (District)
Parish or ward: Sandwich (Civil Parish)
References cited
No references cited so far.
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Timeline of associated dates
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