File:HESH-4BA792 (FindID 383839).jpg

English: Cast copper alloy pipe tamper of post medieval (early Modern) date (probably 1800-1900). The tamper is in the form of a naked Venus (female nude) standing in a classical pose with one hand on hip, the other raised above the face and resting on the forehead. The details on the head are poor but the hair is braided in the Roman fashion although it flows freely down the back, being depicted by deeply incised wavy lines. The limbs (arms and legs) are elongated as are the hands. The breasts are small and neat and the female genitals are stylised as is the surrounding hair. The hips are wide. The feet rest upon a turned base in the form of a column. The underside of the base is flat. The legs of the tamper are bent backwards, possibly by movement in the soil, but more likely to design, so that the tamper base is offset from the handle.

The tamper is a mid green colour with an even polished patina. Limited corrosion is present. A direct parallel has not been found, although a similar classical pose can be seen in a Roman Statuette (Benet’s Guide 1^st Edition p101 (R11-0108)). It is likely that this tamper dates from the Roman revival of the 19^th century, fitting into the risqué or bawdy examples of pipe tampers popular during this period.

The tamper measures: 78.1mm length, 23.5mm width, 8.4mm thick, the base has a diameter of 11.9mm. It weighs 28.58 grams