Rights Holder: Somerset County Council
CC License:
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Unique ID: SOM-22B7DA
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
Copper alloy and iron bow corkscrew acting as a handle for a further unidentified iron tool, possibly a key or pipe related. The piece has a well preserved copper alloy bow with a semi-circular upper part which entends down at the base into a projection. At the end of the projection the arms of the bow flank a hinge for the iron corkscrew which would have folded into the bow. Only a small amount of the screw now remains, part attached to the hinge and part to the top of the bow, possibly concreted into the second tool. The bow widens towards the top and on the outerside at the top is a circular socket which contains the remains of a second iron tool. The second tool appears to be a circular sectioned bar which widens away from the bow and may have extended further away from it and also slotted though the bow to meet the end of the corkscrew to which it is now concreted by rust. The bar has a series of raised decorative ribs, starting from the bow there are two wider ribs, a bead, two more wide ribs then two narrow. It appears the design ahs finished at this point, either marking top top of the tool or where it transitioned into a different part of the tool.
The bow is decorated on the outer side with moulded leaves with incised decoration flanking the socket at the top and with incised lines at the rounded ends which flank the hinge. The hinge has a front plate again with incised triangular decoration and a projecting tab. On the back of the plate are two lugs to hold the cross bar of the hinge.
The entire piece is now 72.0mm long, the copper alloy bow is 45.6mm long and 24.2mm wide and 9.2mm thick. The projecting iron tool is 9.4mm in diameter at the end. The entire object weighs 21.73g.
Bow corkscrews were intoduced in the 18th century and often the corkscrew was combined with other tools, almost like a modern penknife. These tools could included things for pipes and keys. The form and the decoration is reminiscent of 18th cnetury objects such as furniture fittings.
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: POST MEDIEVAL
Period from: POST MEDIEVAL
Period to: POST MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1700
Date to: Circa AD 1800
Quantity: 1
Length: 72 mm
Width: 24.2 mm
Thickness: 9.2 mm
Weight: 21.73 g
Date(s) of discovery: Monday 1st January 2018 - Tuesday 17th April 2018
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Other reference: SCC receipt 19938
Primary material: Copper alloy
Secondary material: Iron
Completeness: Incomplete
4 Figure: ST1232
Four figure Latitude: 51.08054747
Four figure longitude: -3.25764221
1:25K map: ST1232
1:10K map: ST13SW
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.
No references cited so far.