Visiting the Victoria and Albert Museum on the way to a Prom – revisiting their collection of water artifacts:
‘Well head – about 1450. The earliest Venetian well heads were made of ancient Roman capitals and other remains, hollowed out and placed over a well shaft. By the 1450s, they were all purpose made but this example, with its octagonal cornice and projecting lions, still reflects the original form.
Well-head, Wrought iron, Germany; aound 1600-1650. Elaborate well-heads were common in South Germany and Italy, where they often took the form of decorated cages. Until piped water became common in the 19th century, well were focal points of daily life, and blacksmiths often treated the well-heads as show-pieces for their craft.
Pump – Brass, lead and case iron, France; c. 1850. The pump mechanism is enclosed in the oak case and is worked by the long handle to the right. The pump originally stood in the courtyard of a house, 3 Munster Gasschen, in Strasbourg, France.
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