Medieval iron forged key - 73 mm

"Medieval Iron Forged Key
Culture / Period: Medieval
Date / Period: 15th/16th century
Material: Iron
Dimensions: 73 mm
Condition: Good condition

No shipping outside the European Union. Due to complex export regulations concerning cultural goods, this item cannot be shipped outside the EU. Please ensure you have a delivery address within the European Union before placing a bid.

Provenance information:
Object Registration ID: 42

The current owner purchased the Medieval 15th/16th century iron forged key from a private collector, N.N., in Utrecht, the Netherlands.
The previous owner, a private collector from Utrecht, stated that the object had been in his collection since an unknown date.
According to the previous owner, the object had previously been in a private collection in the Netherlands since the 1960s/1970s.
No further information concerning the earlier ownership history of the object is available.

Background Information:
This forged iron key is a practical object from the late medieval to early post-medieval period. Keys of this type were used to secure doors, chests, cupboards, storage boxes, and other lockable fittings in domestic, ecclesiastical, and commercial settings. In daily life, such objects were closely connected with ownership, security, and the protection of valuables or household goods.

The key was made by a blacksmith using traditional forging techniques. Its iron body reflects the organised craft traditions of the period, when functional objects were individually worked by hand but followed established forms suited to contemporary locks. The bow, shaft, and bit were shaped to operate a specific lock mechanism, making each key both a tool and a fitted component of a larger security system.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, locks and keys became increasingly common in towns, castles, religious houses, and prosperous rural households. Their use reflects the growing importance of private property, trade, storage, and controlled access in late medieval society. Iron keys were widely produced and circulated across Europe, with local variations depending on workshop practice and lock design.

This piece forms a tangible connection to everyday life in the medieval world, where objects of this kind played a direct practical role in securing spaces, possessions, and personal property.