Key 1545 - 1580

This steel key, just over three and a half inches long, was created by Jacques Androuet Du Cerceau, an artist active in the 16th century. During the Renaissance, keys like this transcended their practical function to become ornate symbols of power and status. Consider the implications of access and restriction embodied in this small object. The architectural design at the top, complete with a human figure, evokes the exclusivity of Renaissance courtly life. The figure seems to be held within the structure, caught between the columns. Is he an inhabitant, a prisoner, or something else? Keys are about what remains hidden. What stories of class, gender, and power dynamics are embedded in this object? How does the key's symbolism intersect with the personal stories of those who held it?