Rights Holder: Birmingham Museums Trust
CC License:
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Unique ID: WMID-6EB511
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
An incomplete cast copper alloy figurative pipe tamper, of Early Modern dating (Late 18th to Early 19th Centuries AD).
The pipe tamper consists of a female figure, draped and wearing a helmet. Both hands are incomplete, but the left arm is pointing downwards, towards the floor, and the right is held up towards her head. The figure is standing on a little pedestal reel, which was used to tamp down the tobacco in the bowl of the pipe. The base of the tamper has been grooved to form a chequer board pattern.
The tamper measures 71.24 mm in height, 23.56 mm wide and 13.46 mm thick. It weighs 24.8 grams.
The tamper is a mid yellow brown colour, with an uneven surface patina. Abrasion, caused by movement whilst within in the plough soil, has resulted in a loss of some of the original surface detail.
The female figure is meant to represent 'Britannia', the personification of Great Britain. She would have originally held a shield in her left hand, which would have been decorated with the stripes and colours of the British flag. In her right hand, she probably held a spear or a sword. A similar pipe tamper from Lancashire has been recorded as LANCUM-264376.
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: MODERN
Period from: MODERN
Period to: MODERN
Date from: Circa AD 1790
Date to: Circa AD 1820
Quantity: 1
Height: 71.24 mm
Width: 23.56 mm
Thickness: 13.46 mm
Weight: 24.8 g
Date(s) of discovery: Wednesday 1st August 2012 - Friday 31st August 2012
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Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Decoration style: Figurative
Completeness: Incomplete
4 Figure: SK1910
Four figure Latitude: 52.68736
Four figure longitude: -1.720355
1:25K map: SK1910
1:10K map: SK11SE
Grid reference source: Centred on field
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 10 metre square.
No references cited so far.