Key

Unknown

13th or 14th century (?) · Copper alloy · Medieval Art

The decoration of Gothic locks and keys was often elaborate and of the highest standard of workmanship. These examples offer a glimpse of the creativity and inventiveness of medieval ironsmiths who forged such objects. Some scholars have suggested that the greatly expanded use of locks was the result of the increasing urbanization of life and the new emphasis on material wealth and private ownership that characterized the later Middle Ages.

Artist

Unknown

Date

13th or 14th century (?)

Medium

Copper alloy

Culture

French (?)

Department

Medieval Art

Credit line

Purchase, De Souhami Collection, Rogers Fund, 1906