Lock
Unknown Artist
15th–16th century
Medium
Iron
Dimensions
Overall: 15 1/8 x 12 7/8 in. (38.4 x 32.7 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Iron
Culture
European or German (?)
Department
The Cloisters
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Cloisters Collection, 1955
Accession Number
55.61.11a–c
Art Historical Context
Nestled in The Cloisters collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art this imposing iron lock from the th–16th century the robust metalwork of late medieval Europe, possibly German in origin. Measuring a substantial 15 1/8 x 12 7/8 inches, it was likely designed for securing doors, gates, or chests in homes castles, or ecclesiastical settings, where protection against theft was paramount amid turbulent times of feudal conflicts and trade expansion. Crafted from forged iron—a durable medium that allowed blacksmiths to create intricate mechanisms—this artifact highlights the era's advancing loc...