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Description: | A Post-Medieval (1600-1900) copper alloy pipe tamper for a clay tobacco pipe, depicting a squatting female with skirt pulled up, apparently urinating. The figure has a tall and elaborate hair-do and prominent bust line. Below extends an oval-sectioned collar with worn possibly acanthus-leaf decoration, and below this a double reel and bead moulding above the shaft and double-bead collared tamping end.Shaft section measures 29.44mm (tamping end 8.02mm diameter), figure measures 40.40x16.41x11.18mm. Object measures 69.84x16.41x11.18mm and weighs 23.21g.Pipe tampers were used to flatten down tobacco in a pipe in order to ensure that it burnt evenly and drew properly. Julie Cassidy, Northants FLO, comments "There were no public lavatories and no underwear in 17th century England, so squatting in the street was not an unusual sight. Pepys mentions it (in digust) asking the government to legislate against it".
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
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