Key Victorian - Caryatids - Masterpiece

A distinctive Italian key dating from between the mid-1800s and the early 1900s, in the Victorian style with Caryatids, nicknamed "Capo D'opera," hand-engraved.
The key features a head with opposing caryatids, a central coat of arms and an upper crown, a true square head with rings, a solid shaft with a knop, and a front-tooth keyway with cross-shaped cuts.
Keys with caryatids (or chimeras) dating to the Victorian period were "Capo d'opera," i.e., works of extraordinary artistic value created by master ironsmiths and locksmiths as a test of entry into the guilds. They were used for doors of secure rooms or important chests.
Caryatids are sculpted female statues that function as architectural supporting elements, like columns, pillars, or brackets. The most famous example is in the Erechtheion porch on the Acropolis of Athens.
The item, coming from a private collection, will be carefully protected and shipped with package tracking.
No reserve price!