Key found inside a wall of an old Italian Priory

HighK

I posted this Image alreaddy in the “new members” forum but came to believe it makes more sense here, so i’ll post it and the informations again here.
i’m hoping that the experts in this forum can tell me something about it. can you tell from what time it might be and what it might have locked? a door or a chest or a cabinet?

the house has a coat of arms on the wall dating 1582 that is the time when it became part of a convent. there is indications that parts of the structure might be a lot older, dating around mid 1300, being a former watchtower overlooking the pilgrimage road to lucca and collecting taxes from the travelers.

enclosed in a closed-up door we found the tool you also can see in the picture (of which i have no idea what it is or what it was used for), the key and part of a stone with an engraved cross.

maybe someone in this forum can help, thanks in advance.

Gerry

hello,

the key is from 18th/19th century, handmade.

best regards

Richard Phillips

Gerry wrote
hello,

the key is from 18th/19th century, handmade.

best regards

I concur on the date, tending to earlier rather than late, so probably 18C, but patterns change only slowly.

The tool looks to be a wire-drawing plate. Held in a vice, wire is pulled through it to ‘draw’ it thinner. The technique is several thousand years old, so no guess on age but probably pre-20C.

[unknown]