Copper-alloy, 65 grams, 49.15 mm. Circa 18th century AD. A cast copper-alloy pipe tamper with stem missing. The handle is formed as a female bent over and peering between her legs, with skirt drawn up and exposing herself. Pipe tampers were produced from the late 16th century to provide smokers with a tool for compressing the tobacco in the pipe bowl to ensure slow burning of the tobacco. Bawdy and sexually explicit types of tamper became popular during the second half of the 18th century. Reference: for small domestic figural items, see Forsyth, H. and Egan, G. Toys, Trifles and Trinkets. Base-Metal Miniatures from London 1200 to 1800, London, 2005. Very fine condition. Provenance: found Birmingham, UK.