This pottery fragment was discovered during an observation at 82 Hyde Street in Winchester, Hampshire, in 1954.
The fragment originates from a tall clay jug, specifically from the jug's upper body, situated just below the rim. When complete, the lower part of the face at the top of the fragment would have formed the pouring neck of the jug. On the fragment, you can clearly see a cleanly shaven jaw and nose, as well as the depiction of both the left hand and the right hand, the latter of which seems to be holding a key. Beneath the glaze of the jug, there is a colored underglaze that serves to decorate the jug and accentuates the figure's clothing and hands.
These types of vessels, known as face jugs, typically feature caricatures of authoritative figures. Many of them depict knights or bearded individuals. In the collection of the Winchester City Museum, there's even an example featuring what appears to be a religious figure in prayer. The figure portrayed on this particular jug, with the key in hand, may have been regarded as a significant or important person within the medieval society of Hyde. It's possible that this pottery piece served as a reminder to the residents of Hyde of someone they knew in their community or perhaps a figure associated with nearby Hyde Abbey.