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Pitt Rivers Museum

1992.5.3.5

Key, made from wood. Rectangular in length with a curved handle that turns upwards at the end. There are three rectangular notches cut out of the length to create teeth. Incised decoration around the edge of the handle, that has been infilled with black pigment. Part of a tumbler lock set that contains a lock [1992.5.3 .1], three tumblers [1992.5.3 .2-.4], a key [1992.5.3 .5] and a bolt 1992.5.3 .6]. [ASh [OPS move] 07/09/2016]


1992.5.3.5

Digital asset copyright: Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford

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Collection type
Object
Description
Key, made from wood. Rectangular in length with a curved handle that turns upwards at the end. There are three rectangular notches cut out of the length to create teeth. Incised decoration around the edge of the handle, that has been infilled with black pigment. Part of a tumbler lock set that contains a lock [1992.5.3 .1], three tumblers [1992.5.3 .2-.4], a key [1992.5.3 .5] and a bolt 1992.5.3 .6]. [ASh [OPS move] 07/09/2016]
Person
Field collector James Garraway
PRM source C.M. Gill
Date / Period
Date made: 1800-1900
Date collected
By 1992
Acquisition information
Purchased: 1992
Materials and processes
Material Wood Plant, Material Pigment, Process Carved, Process Incised, Process Perforated, Process Varnished
Dimensions
Height: max 26 mm, Width: max 11 mm, Length: max 108 mm
Object numbers
Accession number: 1992.5.3.5
Research and responses

James Garraway (1799-1873) was a Caribbean merchant, and the first black President (or 'chief executive') of Dominica. [Dan Hicks 02/10/2012]

Note that this item is part of Pitt Rivers overall collection but not part of the founding collection of this Museum. However, there is no primary source entry that we are aware of that lists this object. It may be therefore that it was obtained by PR after 1884 and may be listed in the object catalogues of the overall PR collection after 1880 currently held by the University of Cambridge. It may have been displayed at Farnham Museum [AP]

Associated publications
Pitt-Rivers, A.H.L.F. 1883. On the development and distribution of primitive locks and keys: illustrated by specimens in the Pitt Rivers Collection. Chatto and Windus London UK [Dan Hicks 02/10/2012]

Search terms: Lock, Model, Lock Tumbler, Key

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