Rights Holder: Suffolk County Council
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Unique ID: SF-07F127
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
An incomplete cast copper-alloy barrel tap with incomplete key of early Post-Medieval date. The key housing, most of the spout and key, and part of the pipe survive, the remainder now missing due to old breaks. The surviving length of the pipe is cylindrical in form measuring 9.60mm in external diameter (5.81mm in internal diameter). This extends to the integral key housing, which is octagonal in form with a central vertical aperture through which passes the key itself. At the outer edge is an integral but incomplete spout. This is seemingly zoomorphic in form with projecting triangular ears, multiple transverse grooves for the eyes and top of snout, with an open mouth that grips the incomplete cylindrical spout. The separately cast tap key is cylindrical in form with a flattened zoomorphic terminal. This is in the form of a bird, perhaps a cockerel or similar, with rectangular body, semi-circular head with pointed beak, and large but incomplete curving tail. The entire object measures 45.13mm in height, 46.70mm in length, 14.43mm in width/thickness, and 35.85g in weight.
This is an incomplete barrel tap and key of early Post-Medieval date. It finds parallels in a number of examples recorded through the PAS (e.g. NMS-D36F05, SF-17FC34, HAMP-60C2A2, SOM-901263, SOM-570193 or BERK-A3B3B5) and is of probable 16th-17th century AD date, if not slightly earlier.
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: POST MEDIEVAL
Period from: MEDIEVAL
Period to: POST MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1450
Date to: Circa AD 1700
Quantity: 1
Length: 46.7 mm
Height: 45.13 mm
Width: 14.43 mm
Weight: 35.85 g
Date(s) of discovery: Saturday 1st November 2014
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SMR reference number: GED 003
Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Incomplete
Grid reference source: Centred on field
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.
No references cited so far.