File:Medieval to Post-Medieval Vessel Spout (FindID 149357).jpg

English: A complete cast copper alloy pouring spout in the shape of a dog’s head. Medieval to Post-Medieval (c. AD 1400 – c. AD 1600). Length 71.0mm, width 21mm. Weight 91.76g.

The dog’s head is hollow and oval in cross-section and holds a circular-shaped object (8.0mm internal diameter) in its mouth from which liquid would have been poured. It is possible that the circular object represents a barrel. The facial features are represented by incised lines. Its nose is short and upturned, the nostrils being formed by scroll-like incised lines. There is a distinctive concave facet running from the centre of the eyes to the tip of the nose. The large incised pointed oval eyes have crescent-shaped eyeballs and its large pointed ears project above the side of the head, although the tip of the left ear is lost due to an old break. The brow is formed by a line of small circular depressions that lie parallel to an incised line. There is a central longitudinal ridge running along the top of the neck and extending along the top of the head where it is decorated with small transverse incised grooves. The back of the spout, where it would have attached to the vessel, is undecorated, curved and has a large sub-oval opening that narrows to become the circular opening in the mouth.

The spout is in fair condition and has a dark green shiny patina although some of the patina has exfoliated. The circular opening in the mouth is slightly corroded and abraded. A number of these types of spouts have been recorded on the Portable Antiquities Scheme database. In particular, see finds: <a href="http://www.findsdatabase.org.uk/hms/pas_obj.php?type=finds&id=001411CC393016CF">SF-CC25D3</a>

Similar pouring spouts are illustrated and described by Bailey. See: Bailey 1997, 57-59.

Also see: J.M. Lewis 1987 "Bronze Aquamaniles and Ewers" Finds Research Group Datasheet 7, 4-5, fig 8a. For a similar spout on a pedestal-base ewer from Cardiff Castle moat, dated to the 15th century. Mills "Medieval Artefacts" (1999, 110, ref. NM 292) publishes another similar spout, noting they are from priest's washing bowls (lavers), and dating them to the 15th century.