File:Medieval ewer vessel spout (side views) (FindID 127023).jpg

English: Cast copper-alloy zoomorphic spout from a 15th-century pedestal-base ewer (length: approx 66mm; width: 53mm; thickness: 18mm; weight: 65.13g).

The spout has an angular dog’s head terminal with a tubular spout extending out from the dog’s open lozenge-shaped mouth (internal diameter of spout: 5.5mm). The dog’s head has strongly pronounced ridges and protrusions, including rectangular ears to either side of the head and heavy ridged eyebrows. The eyes are not delineated. A single rectangular ridge (length: 12mm; width: 2.5mm) runs centrally between the ears of the dog, which then continues (less defined and narrower) down the neck of the spout to the hollow opening at the back.

The back of the spout would have been attached to the vessel. It is undecorated, and curves to a pointed terminal, with a slanted indentation continuing to a hollow circular opening at the top, which then leads to the front of the spout. The artefact is in a slightly worn condition with a brown patina; there is a large scratch mark to one side of the neck of the artefact.

A similar dog’s head spout can be seen elsewhere on the Portable Antiquities Scheme’s database (records WMID-FFD0E2 and WMID-BE4B04). Lewis (1987, fig. 8A) illustrates another, from the moat at Cardiff Castle, and dates them to the 15th century. The spouts are normally found detached from their ewers, but Lewis also illustrates an example of a pedestal-base ewer complete with its spout.