Sourced from a chateau in the Perigord area of south west France, this estate-made hand-forged lock and key could date back as far as the 17th century. The key is very large, approx 35cm long, and the shaft has been replaced at some point over the many decades with a piece of lead pipe, but the original wrought iron bow and the S-shaped bit have been re-soldered on to it. The latch mechanism still works, and on the reverse you can see the colour of the paintwork on the door it came from. Measurements are approx 47cm max width, and the diameter of the circular area is approx 27cm.
