Lock - Mining





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An iron, forged escutcheon for a lock from France, dating to 1750–1800, featuring heraldic mining motifs in relief, measuring 27 cm high, 20 cm wide, and 2 cm deep, and in good used condition with minor signs of age.
Description from the seller
Ornamentation of a lock originally aimed at the mining world, wrought in iron during the 18th century, a piece of notable ethnographic and historical interest that combines the functionality of traditional locksmithing with a rich symbolic load linked to one of the harshest and most representative trades of preindustrial Europe.
The piece is conceived as a keyhole escutcheon worked in relief, originally destined to protect and adorn the access to the lock of a chest, door, strongbox, or furniture related to mining operations, guilds, or properties linked to this activity. Its design revolves around a central cut-profile opening, surrounded by a decorative composition in which various mining attributes are carefully represented.
Among the iconographic elements one can appreciate traditional tools associated with mineral extraction, especially crossed pickaxes and working tools, universal symbols of mining since the modern era. These instruments are integrated into a heraldic composition of great visual strength, topped by an architectural structure or ornamental coronation that adds verticality and solemnity to the whole.
The wrought iron preserves an attractive dark patina produced by the passage of centuries, with surface oxidations and natural wear that testify to its age and authenticity. The irregularities typical of manual forging, visible in the profiles and reliefs, also constitute valuable evidence of the artisanal methods used by the master blacksmiths of the 18th century.
Beyond its utilitarian function, this ornament represents an interesting manifestation of the so-called artistic locksmithing, a discipline in which ironwork reached high levels of technical and decorative quality. Its mining theme is especially significant, as there are relatively few antique pieces that preserve references so explicit to concrete professional activities.
Because of its age, its excellent symbolic load, and its connection to the history of mining, this keyhole escutcheon is a piece of great appeal for collectors of wrought iron, industrial heritage, decorative arts, and objects related to old guilds and traditional crafts.
Certified shipping and good packing.
Seller's Story
Ornamentation of a lock originally aimed at the mining world, wrought in iron during the 18th century, a piece of notable ethnographic and historical interest that combines the functionality of traditional locksmithing with a rich symbolic load linked to one of the harshest and most representative trades of preindustrial Europe.
The piece is conceived as a keyhole escutcheon worked in relief, originally destined to protect and adorn the access to the lock of a chest, door, strongbox, or furniture related to mining operations, guilds, or properties linked to this activity. Its design revolves around a central cut-profile opening, surrounded by a decorative composition in which various mining attributes are carefully represented.
Among the iconographic elements one can appreciate traditional tools associated with mineral extraction, especially crossed pickaxes and working tools, universal symbols of mining since the modern era. These instruments are integrated into a heraldic composition of great visual strength, topped by an architectural structure or ornamental coronation that adds verticality and solemnity to the whole.
The wrought iron preserves an attractive dark patina produced by the passage of centuries, with surface oxidations and natural wear that testify to its age and authenticity. The irregularities typical of manual forging, visible in the profiles and reliefs, also constitute valuable evidence of the artisanal methods used by the master blacksmiths of the 18th century.
Beyond its utilitarian function, this ornament represents an interesting manifestation of the so-called artistic locksmithing, a discipline in which ironwork reached high levels of technical and decorative quality. Its mining theme is especially significant, as there are relatively few antique pieces that preserve references so explicit to concrete professional activities.
Because of its age, its excellent symbolic load, and its connection to the history of mining, this keyhole escutcheon is a piece of great appeal for collectors of wrought iron, industrial heritage, decorative arts, and objects related to old guilds and traditional crafts.
Certified shipping and good packing.

