Sale: CNG 79, Lot: 1545. Estimate $2000.  Closing Date: Wednesday, 17 September 2008.  Sold For $2300. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

FE Key in the Shape of a Knight. 10th-12th centuries. Key with offset, looped bow and elaborate bit in the shape of an armored knight. Height: 8.5cm. Choice condition with dark brown patina. Unique.

The level of complexity of a medieval key’s bit can tell us much about the status of its owner; the wealthy (those with valuables to protect) used more complex locks and keys, while poorer folk, when using keys at all, generally used examples of simple design. Worn hanging from the girdle (a belt worn by men and women), keys were not merely utilitarian tools but were also fashionable accessories that could convey a message about their owner’s status. For example, it is believed that women of this period wore keys as a way of indicating that they were married. Similarly, this elaborate “knight” key, along with other accoutrements, might distinguish its owner’s wealth.