Lock and Key
1680-1700 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The intricate lock has four turning bolts that can be set to various combinations. For added security, a sliding panel reveals two dials to record every turn of the lock.
This type of lock is a rim lock, with its mechanism entirely enclosed in a case to be mounted on a door. Unlike later mortise locks that were built into doors and might match the overall decorative scheme of a room, rim locks could be removed when the owner moved house, to be fixed to a door in the new house.
Locks and keys were symbols of ownership and authority. Lockplates and key escutcheons, made of highly reflective materials, provided the finishing touches to decorative schemes.
English locksmiths were based mainly in London and the Midlands and were renowned for their ingenuity. Wolverhampton produced, according to one writer in 1686, locks ‘curiously polisht and the keys so finely wrought, that ‘tis reasonable to think they were never exceeded’. The diarist John Evelyn recorded in 1654 that a lock with ‘rare contrivances’ could be viewed as a masterpiece, ‘esteem’d a curiositie even among foraine princes’.
This type of lock is a rim lock, with its mechanism entirely enclosed in a case to be mounted on a door. Unlike later mortise locks that were built into doors and might match the overall decorative scheme of a room, rim locks could be removed when the owner moved house, to be fixed to a door in the new house.
Locks and keys were symbols of ownership and authority. Lockplates and key escutcheons, made of highly reflective materials, provided the finishing touches to decorative schemes.
English locksmiths were based mainly in London and the Midlands and were renowned for their ingenuity. Wolverhampton produced, according to one writer in 1686, locks ‘curiously polisht and the keys so finely wrought, that ‘tis reasonable to think they were never exceeded’. The diarist John Evelyn recorded in 1654 that a lock with ‘rare contrivances’ could be viewed as a masterpiece, ‘esteem’d a curiositie even among foraine princes’.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Steel, brass, forged and chiselled, blued |
| Brief description | Rim lock of forged steel in pierced brass case with separate hasp, with sliding panel revealing two dials to record the action of the lock, English, ca. 1680, probably by John Wilkes of Birmingham |
| Physical description | Lock with brass scroll openwork in steel and brass frame. It has 4 knobs for turning the bolts and a projecting box with a sliding panel enclosing two dials for recording the action of the lock. The hasp is also brass and the steel body is blued. The works of the lock are steel and the back of the lock is decorated with engraving. The brass openwork consists of twirling tendrils ending in flowers and dogs' heads. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Gallery label |
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| Object history | This lock has open scrollwork in brass contrasting with a ‘blued’ steel base. The lock has four turning bolts. For added security, a sliding panel reveals two dials to record every turn of the lock. This type of lock is a rim lock, with its mechanism entirely enclosed in a case to be mounted on a door. Unlike later mortise locks that were built into doors and might match the overall decorative scheme of a room, rim locks could be removed when the owner moved house, to be fixed to a door in the new house. The bold proportions and twirling ornament are unmistakeably Baroque and would complement contemporary decoration in the house without matching exactly. On this example, even the inner steel workings are finely engraved. The Museum acquired the lock for £15.15 from the Londesborough Sale in 1888. Historical significance: This is one of the finest examples of a rim lock in the Museum's collection. |
| Historical context | Locks and keys were symbols of ownership and authority. Lockplates and key escutcheons, made of highly reflective materials, provided the finishing touches to decorative schemes. English locksmiths were based mainly in London and the Midlands and were renowned for their ingenuity. Wolverhampton produced, according to one writer in 1686, locks ‘curiously polisht and the keys so finely wrought, that ‘tis reasonable to think they were never exceeded’. The complicated mechanisms of locks made rooms secure while their intricate patterns in steel and brass turned their locks into works of art. The diarist John Evelyn recorded in 1654 that a lock with ‘rare contrivances’ could be viewed as a masterpiece, ‘esteem’d a curiositie even among foraine princes’. |
| Production | Based on similarities with signed examples |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Association | |
| Summary | The intricate lock has four turning bolts that can be set to various combinations. For added security, a sliding panel reveals two dials to record every turn of the lock. This type of lock is a rim lock, with its mechanism entirely enclosed in a case to be mounted on a door. Unlike later mortise locks that were built into doors and might match the overall decorative scheme of a room, rim locks could be removed when the owner moved house, to be fixed to a door in the new house. Locks and keys were symbols of ownership and authority. Lockplates and key escutcheons, made of highly reflective materials, provided the finishing touches to decorative schemes. English locksmiths were based mainly in London and the Midlands and were renowned for their ingenuity. Wolverhampton produced, according to one writer in 1686, locks ‘curiously polisht and the keys so finely wrought, that ‘tis reasonable to think they were never exceeded’. The diarist John Evelyn recorded in 1654 that a lock with ‘rare contrivances’ could be viewed as a masterpiece, ‘esteem’d a curiositie even among foraine princes’. |
| Associated object | |
| Bibliographic reference | Patterson, Angus, ed., "The Belinda Gentle Metalware Gallery at the V&A", Journal of the Antique Metalware Society, Volume 13, June 2005, p. 45, Fig. 1 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 1394-1888 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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