Key, France, 18th century

DocumentedSupported by at least one credible specialist source.

Record status

Individual type · partial

Period

18th century

7. KEY, steel, chiselled, France, 1700-1800 With the arms of Francois Cesar Le Tellier, Marquis de Courtenvaux (1718-1781). Museum No. 2300-1855 Steel key with the arms of Francois Cesar Le Tellier, Marquis de Courtenvaux (1718-1781). The bow chased with a shield of arms amd ducal coronet, the bearings three lizards.

7. KEY, steel, France; 18th century With the arms of Francois Cesar Le Tellier, Marquis de Courtenvaux (1718-1781). Bernal Collection Museum No. 2300-1855

Evidence at a glance

Linked sources: 1
Photograph views: 3
Catalogue references: 0

Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.

Physical characteristics

Dimensions: Length: 5.5 in
Materials and techniques: Steel

Technical characteristics

Place recorded: France

Identification

Candidate id: vam-O380631
Museum object number: 2300-1855
Object history (museum record): Provenance Bought from the Bernal Collection for £4 in 1855. Ralph Bernal (1783-1854) was a renowned collector and objects from his collection are now in museums across the world, including the V&A. He was born into a Sephardic Jewish family of Spanish descent, but was baptised into the Christian religion at the age of 22. Bernal studied at Christ's College, Cambridge, and subsequently became a prominent Whig politician. He built a reputation for himself as a man of taste and culture through the collection he amassed and later in life he became the president of the British Archaeological Society. Yet the main source of income which enabled him to do this was the profits from enslaved labou
Source note: Facts transcribed from the linked single-object source. Wider type attribution and authenticity have not been independently verified.