Door Key

Artist Unidentified

Period Roman Empire (Ancient Roman, 27 BCE-395 CE)

Place of OriginRoman Empire

Datepossibly 2nd Century CE

Dimensions2 3/8 in. (6 cm)

MediumIron

ClassificationUtilitarian Objects

Credit LineGift of Dr. Arthur F. Bissell

Object number

1911.45

Not on View

DescriptionThis iron key features a large, circular bow (handle) attached to a short, solid, rectangular shank. The bit extends perpendicularly from the end of the shank and contains distinct clefts or teeth for engaging a lock mechanism.

Label TextThis iron latch lifter is an example of a simple Roman key designed for lifting and releasing latches rather than for serious security. The Romans commonly used latch lifters, which consisted of a metal shaft with a hooked or toothed end that could pass through a hole in a door to manipulate an interior latch. Latch lifters like this one were functional but not highly secure, intended primarily as a convenience to unlock doors from the outside. Such devices were found in many ancient cultures before the Romans, suggesting that they adapted this design rather than inventing it.Published References

Puma, R. D. de, Art in Roman Life: Villa to Grave, Roma, "L'Erma" di Bretschneider, 2009, no. 189, p. 134.

Exhibition HistoryDayton Art Institute, The Roman World: Religions and Everyday Life (featuring the Brooklyn Museum exhibition Tree of Paradise: Jewish Mosaics from the Roman Empire), September 21, 2007 - January 6, 2008.