Pioneer WATER, Resonant and Perfectly Patinated Old Cast Iron Street Water Valve Cover brass seal and perhaps feels all the

and perhaps feels all the holier for my lack of capacity to readily translate it

I found these this past summer at a flea market close to me and just pulled them out again--and was struck anew by the lovely and painstakingly executed passages of ornament on them

This one has a blank circle at the center of one side where the monogram would be carved (and still could be

and--making it especially great as a sculptural object--this fantastic tread of metal nails ("hobnobs" I believe they are called) and horseshoe type heel plate

Pioneer WATER, Resonant and Perfectly Patinated Old Cast Iron Street Water Valve Cover brass seal and perhaps feels all theYou know I love found language (and what a resonant phrase here), and sometimes a great old cast iron object too. And I find the the graphic punch and clarity of the lettering on this just completely satisfying. This would have functioned as a street water valve access cover for a municipal water system, I believe. I found it in mid coast Maine and have since found one other example out there of this particular Pioneer Water cover, but in nothing like