Rights Holder: Oxfordshire County Council
CC License:
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Unique ID: BERK-19E598
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
An incomplete and squashed lead alloy bird feeder of post-medieval date (c. AD 1450-1700). The feeder would have had a flat back to allow it to sit up against a cage or other item; the front of the feeder is rounded. This is evident in the plano-convex shape of the base, which remains intact and undamaged. The upper rim of the bird feeder is damaged although a double cast-line acts as minimalist decoration. A single hole near the rim of the reverse of the feeder (the flat back) would have been where the feeder could have been secured to the cage by string. Interestingly there appears to be some decoration, possibly lettering on the base of the feeder - reading NINVM, or, lead cast lettering is often retrograde - MVNIN. These crude linear markings do appear intentional and may indicate the name of the maker. Further research is required to see if any other bird feeders exhibit similar although a search of those on the database has been negative.
See Egan 2005 ("Material Culture in London in an Age of Transition", Museum of London) p128-9 for similar items identified as bird feeders from excavated examples and contemporary illustrations. Egan states that these were used for holding water, green plants or seed for caged birds, and that "decorated troughs seem to date from the late 15th/16th centuries and later, while plainer versions continue at least until the late 17th century".
This has been noted as an interesting find by the recorder.
Class: bird feeder
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: POST MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Late
Period from: MEDIEVAL
Period to: POST MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1450
Date to: Circa AD 1700
Quantity: 1
Length: 34 mm
Width: 54.6 mm
Weight: 64.5 g
Date(s) of discovery: Wednesday 1st November 2017
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Other reference: OXPAS2018.047
Primary material: Lead Alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Incomplete
4 Figure: SP5803
Four figure Latitude: 51.72273134
Four figure longitude: -1.16173714
1:25K map: SP5803
1:10K map: SP50SE
Grid reference source: GPS (from the finder)
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
No references cited so far.