17TH CENTURY, PERHAPS LONDON

Although the precise function of this head is uncertain, the fact that it is a fragment from a much larger object leads to speculation as to its precise purpose. Of the various suggestions previously put forward, that suggesting it is from the lower part of a massive cistern seems the most appropriate. The mouth acting as a conduit for a metal spout or perhaps simply an aperture for flowing water.
The noticeable overfiring could have been the result of severe overheating during the blitz in World War II when this was found in the City ruins. The bluish glaze is similar to that on some late 17th delftwares attributed to Brislington.