A copper alloy steelyard balance weight in the form of a bust of a satyr; a mythical half-goat, half-man, or Bacchus, the Roman god of wine. At the back of the head is a cavity probably for lead filling.
A uniform system of weights and measures was essential in Roman London. Precise scales were needed for all manner of purposes; from the preparation of medicines and make-up within the home, to the measuring of dies for the manufacture of textiles and for the buying of food at the market place.
