Key Latch
Unknown Artist
1st–7th century
Medium
Copper alloy
Dimensions
Overall: 2 3/8 x 1 x 3/8 in. (6 x 2.5 x 1 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Bronze
Culture
Roman
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, De Souhami Collection, Rogers Fund, 1906
Accession Number
06.176.53
Art Historical Context
This delicate copper alloy key latch, dating from the 1st to 7th century, offers a glimpse into the everyday ingenuity of Roman life. Measuring just 2 3/8 x 1 x 3/8 inches, this small functional object—likely part of a locking mechanism for doors, chests, or gates—exemplifies the practical metalwork produced during the late Roman Empire and early Byzantine transition. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Medieval Department (acquired in 1906 through the Souhami Collection and Fund), it highlights how Roman artisans crafted durable tools from bronze-like alloys for security in homes, temp...