gistfile1.py

import cPickle
import time

metadata = {"Content-Length": "65536",
            "Content-Type": "application/octet-stream",
            "ETag": "fcd6bcb56c1689fcef28b57c22475bad",
            "X-Timestamp": "1422766779.57463",
            "name": "/someaccountname/somecontainername/5821142269423797100"}

loops = 200000

start = time.time()
for i in xrange(loops):
    cPickle.dumps(metadata)
print 'cPickle.dumps  %d ns/op' % (((time.time() - start) * 1000000000) / loops)

dumped = cPickle.dumps(metadata)
start = time.time()
for i in xrange(loops):
    cPickle.loads(dumped)
print 'cPickle.loads   %d ns/op' % (((time.time() - start) * 1000000000) / loops)