Le monde gallo-romain 6

The collection of Gallo-Roman keys and locks held by the museum demonstrates the variety of locking methods. The locks were more complex than ours today; they could operate by rotation, withdrawal, or lifting of the key.

Large keys were associated with real estate—they secured doors of houses, cellars, or agricultural buildings. Smaller keys and locks were used to secure furniture such as chests or cabinets. For even smaller padlocks, for example those closing jewelry boxes, ring keys existed that people wore on their fingers.

Some locks were adorned with highly decorative plates, combining functionality with aesthetics.