Bronze, 1st cent. A.D.
Pompeii, House of Paquius Proculus
Soprintendenza Archeologica di Pompei, inv. 3087

This is part of a water pump, probably built after that of Ctesibius, the Alexandrine scientist active around the middle of the 3rd century B.C. These devices were used to obtain powerful jets of water. Ff various sizes, they were built entirely of bronze, to withstand the water pressure.