Key
Unknown Artist
15th century
Medium
Iron
Dimensions
Overall: 5 7/16 x 2 x 5/8 in. (13.8 x 5.1 x 1.6 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Iron
Culture
German
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1910
Accession Number
10.100.106
Art Historical Context
This unassuming yet remarkable iron key hails from 15th-century Germany, time when the late Middle Ages were giving way to the Renaissance. Measuring just 5 7/16 x 2 x 5/8 inches, it's compact enough to fit in the palm of your hand, yet its sturdy construction speaks to the practical needs of medieval life. Crafted through skilled blacksmithing techniques like forging and possibly filing for precision, such keys were essential for locking doors, chests, or gates, protecting everything from household treasures to ecclesiastical relics. In German medieval culture, keys transcended mere utility—...