any idea what this is?

[Crastney]

ok so I'd like to know what something is - I dug it up out of my back garden, I was deep digging, in preparation for planting potatos.
this was the photo from my phone...



it's eathenware, glazed pot. it's shaped like a decanter, but the very top part does not detach. The bottom portion is broken off, so I don't know how much of the original that I have, however there is a no. 5 imprinted on the side, just above shoulder level (shoulder like in DemiJohn) - the piece that I have is about a foot tall. There is no handle on the side, but there is a small circular extension on the side, cuplike, with a hole through into the main body of the vessel.

it's painted a yellowy cream colour above the shoulder. The top looks like a decanter stopper, but is immovable, glazed over.

[edit to add]
This pic looks a bit like it - the left hand item. Mine is a different shape, but essentially the same. the 'dispenser' on the bottom is more circular, and bowl shaped, but I think this shape makes it more likely to be a bird feeder, but still not sure why it says '5' on it, which is why I thought it might be brewing related.

 

[calumscott]

Looking at that I would say that the size of the hole and the fact that the little reservoir is higher than the top of the hole is suggesting dispensing liquid. The hole looks to small for any kind of dry powder or granular substance.

But it does look very much like a chicken feeder thing - could it be that simple? An early automatic water bowl for poultry?

 

[Baz Chaz]

... An early automatic water bowl for poultry?

Yup, I would say so, my grandad had some similar when I was a kid, used it for water in the bantam run :thumb: