Ancient Roman Bronze Key Pendant Culture / Period: Ancient Roman Date / Period: 3rd–5th century A.D. Material: Bronze Dimensions: 41 mm Condition: Good condition. Complete with suspension loop and functional key bit preserved. Attractive ancient patina. 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: 184 The current owner purchased the Ancient Roman bronze key from a private collector, N.N. in Drunen. The previous owner, a private collector, N.N. from Drunen (the Netherlands), stated that the object had been in his collection since the 1990s. According to the previous owner, the object had previously been in a private collection in the Netherlands since the 1980s. No further information concerning the earlier ownership history of the object was available from the previous owner. Background Information: This bronze Roman key combines a practical locking device with a suspension loop that allowed it to be worn as a pendant. Keys of this type are characteristic of the Late Roman period and reflect the growing importance of personal property, secure storage, and domestic privacy within Roman society. Roman keys were used to operate locks on chests, caskets, cupboards, and storage containers that held valuable possessions, documents, jewellery, clothing, or money. Smaller examples were often suspended from cords, chains, or belts, allowing their owners to carry them conveniently while also displaying their role as custodians of household or personal wealth. Beyond their practical function, keys possessed a symbolic meaning in the Roman world. Ownership of a key represented authority, responsibility, and access. Within the household, the possession of keys could signify trust and status, particularly in relation to the management of domestic goods and storage spaces. As a result, keys were sometimes worn visibly as pendants rather than simply hidden away. The circular suspension loop and compact construction of this example illustrate the dual function of such objects as both utilitarian tools and personal accessories. Similar Roman bronze keys are preserved in museum collections, including comparable examples in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, demonstrating the widespread use of this form throughout the later Roman Empire. Bronze keys were produced by skilled metalworkers using casting and finishing techniques that ensured durability and reliability. Such objects were traded and used throughout the Roman provinces, from Britain and Gaul to the Mediterranean and the Near East, reflecting the shared material culture of the Empire. Dating to the 3rd–5th century A.D., this piece provides a direct and physical link to everyday life in the Late Roman world. It forms a tangible connection to a society in which security, ownership, and household management played an important role in daily life, and where even practical objects could carry social and symbolic significance.