Architectural ornament (2) - 18th century - Large Locks
04
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€ 1
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Selected by Paul Wullems
He accumulated 18 years' experience, worked as junior specialist at Sotheby’s and managed Kunsthandel Jacques Fijnaut.
Estimate € 300 - € 400
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A pair of iron locks from Spain dating to the 18th century, each 62 cm high, 8 cm wide and 8 cm deep, in good used condition with minor signs of age and imperfections, featuring hammer-forged rings and hooks in a stark late Gothic style.
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Description from the seller
It is a pair of bolts that looks as if it came straight from a preindustrial forge, pieces of iron from the eighteenth century—or even earlier—that preserve all the primal force and the austere aesthetics of late Gothic. Its construction is solid: long, heavy bars, joined by a central axle that allows turning and locking, with rings and hooks formed by hammer blows. Nothing about them is perfectly symmetrical, and that is precisely where their charm lies; every irregularity speaks of the craftsman and the tool.
On the sides you can appreciate those forge marks, which, far from being mere traces of the process, function as genuine adornments. They are lines, grooves, and small repeated rhythms that recall the austere decoration of ancient Gothic: almost geometric, hard motifs that add texture and character without losing functionality. They are not added ornaments, but the very language of iron worked in the red heat.
The rust, the reddish shadows, and the deep grays of aged metal complete the historical reading of the pieces. It is evident that they have lived for centuries, that they have protected heavy doors, perhaps of barns, workshops, or rural buildings. Today, more than locking mechanisms, they are fragments of material history, witnesses to a time when security was crafted by hand and each bolt was unique.
Tracked shipping and careful packaging.
Seller's Story
Translated by Google TranslateIt is a pair of bolts that looks as if it came straight from a preindustrial forge, pieces of iron from the eighteenth century—or even earlier—that preserve all the primal force and the austere aesthetics of late Gothic. Its construction is solid: long, heavy bars, joined by a central axle that allows turning and locking, with rings and hooks formed by hammer blows. Nothing about them is perfectly symmetrical, and that is precisely where their charm lies; every irregularity speaks of the craftsman and the tool.
On the sides you can appreciate those forge marks, which, far from being mere traces of the process, function as genuine adornments. They are lines, grooves, and small repeated rhythms that recall the austere decoration of ancient Gothic: almost geometric, hard motifs that add texture and character without losing functionality. They are not added ornaments, but the very language of iron worked in the red heat.
The rust, the reddish shadows, and the deep grays of aged metal complete the historical reading of the pieces. It is evident that they have lived for centuries, that they have protected heavy doors, perhaps of barns, workshops, or rural buildings. Today, more than locking mechanisms, they are fragments of material history, witnesses to a time when security was crafted by hand and each bolt was unique.
Tracked shipping and careful packaging.
Seller's Story
Translated by Google TranslateDetails
Era
1400-1900
Title additional information
Large Locks
Number of objects
2
Material
Iron
Country of origin
Spain
Condition
Good condition - used with small signs of aging & blemishes
Height
62 cm
Width
8 cm
Depth
8 cm
Estimated period
18th century
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