Key, England, ca. 1690

Object Type This pierced and chiselled key is typical of the very fine locksmiths' work produced in England in the 1690s. The bow is pierced with openwork designs and the stem is cut with baluster mouldings. This key is not original to the 'detector' lock (museum no. M.109-1926) with which it is displayed, but it is an English key of the right type and date. Instead, it was made to fit the lock on the door of a private chamber.

Design & Manufacture A lock in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, which came from the Dutch Royal Collection, is not only preserved in very fine condition but also has the two keys that were originally supplied with the lock. The Rijksmuseum lock was made for William of Orange by the Birmingham lockmaker John Wilkes (died 1733), who had a number of wealthy patrons. The Rijksmuseum lock shows that the V&A lock would also have had two keys. Its keys are pierced with the royal cipher and crown and are decorated with mouldings and engraved leaf-work. The keys for the V&A lock would have been of similar design and would have had the owner's monogram on the bow.