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Set of 13 Antique Iron Skeleton Keys on Keeper’s Ring, circa 1900

$1,606per set
£1,205.40per set
€1,406.55per set
CA$2,268.96per set
A$2,274.80per set
CHF 1,318.23per set
MX$27,796.29per set
NOK 15,276.42per set
SEK 15,599.79per set
DKK 10,513.53per set

About the Item

An evocative assembled set of thirteen antique iron and steel warded keys, or skeleton keys, suspended from a large circular keeper’s ring. Stylistically dating from the late 19th to early 20th century, the group includes keys of varied lengths with individually cut bits, open bows, rounded and shaped grips, turned collars, and long solid or hollow shafts. Most retain a deep brown-black oxidized patina developed through age and handling; one key preserves a contrasting silver-toned surface. The keys were acquired together in Mallorca, Spain. Their precise geographic origin is unknown, and they are not presented as definitively Spanish. This is compelling as a collection because the thirteen keys were made for different locks rather than as a decorative matching set. Seen together, their varied profiles form a compact study of pre-modern security, metalworking, and architectural hardware. Each bit once corresponded to a particular interior mechanism and, by extension, to a specific threshold: a door, cupboard, chest, storeroom, or private chamber. They speak quietly but powerfully about access and exclusion, ownership and trust, domestic labor, and the people once charged with safeguarding a household or institution. Today, the group has a sculptural presence greater than that of any single key. The radiating silhouettes, irregular surfaces, and accumulated patina turn a utilitarian object into a tactile archive of use. Displayed on a wall, across a console, in a cabinet of curiosities, or as a tabletop object, the set brings history, texture, and narrative tension into a contemporary interior. The keys are offered as historical decorative objects; compatibility with surviving locks is unknown.
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 9 in (22.86 cm)Width: 5 in (12.7 cm)Depth: 2 in (5.08 cm)
  • Sold As:
    Set of 13
  • Style:
    Industrial (Of the Period)
  • Materials and Techniques:
    Metal,Forged
  • Period:
    Early 20th Century
  • Date of Manufacture:
    1900
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use.
  • Seller Location:
    Coral Gables, FL
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU10969251237552

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