Object of the Week: A mystery terracotta head found on a tomb in an Ipswich churchyard

This article originally appeared on Culture24.

We bring you the head of a mystery sitter, handed to officials in Ipswich after being discovered on a tomb

No-one knows how this terracotta head came to lie in the churchyard of St Lawrence in Ipswich – a Grade II-listed, 15th century building known for having the oldest church bells in the world.

Ipswich Borough Council admits it is “puzzled” after a local shopkeeper took it to the nearby Tourist Information Centre, having found it on a tomb this week.

“It wouldn’t have fallen off the church as it is not broken,” theorises Gail Broom, the council’s Senior Conservation Officer, who thinks it could be around 100 years old.

“But we have no idea where it came from. If anyone can give us a heads up on its owner we would be very grateful.”

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Source: http://www.culture24.org.uk/history-and-heritage/art530709-object-of-the-week-a-mystery-terracotta-head-found-on-a-tomb-in-an-ipswich-churchyard