Very interesting key. It looks old to me but I’m certainly no expert in these matters. One thing that caught my eye… the finish appears to be a brass plating over iron - if that is indeed what it is it might give an indication of key’s age. I’d love to know what the figure is holding over his head. At first, I thought perhaps Atlasa, holding the world. But there are protrusions extending from the sphere through his hands - so that theory didn’t hold water. The bit looks similar to some cabinet bits I’ve seen but that is just a guess on my part.
Even if this key turns out to be modern, it is interesting nevertheless and makes an excellent conversation piece. If it were mine, I’d keep it and I’d try to get the writing on the shank translated. Any close school with a foreign languages department should be able to at least point you in the right direction. It might only be a makers mark, or a brand logo (e. g. “Marlboro”) or it may have some religious significance.
