Overslag bestaande uit een overval en ring met veerkram c. 1590 - 1596

This iron hasp, ring, and spring cramp was crafted by an anonymous artist. It is a modest object, yet it speaks volumes about humanity's enduring quest for security and order. The ring and hasp, simple as they may seem, evoke a lineage stretching back to ancient times. Consider the Egyptian ankh, its loop symbolizing eternal life, or the Roman keys to Janus's temple, emblems of passage and protection. Here, too, we find a symbolic gateway, a portal between safety and vulnerability. The material itself, iron, bears weight. Forged in fire, it represents strength and resilience. It is no accident that locks and keys have been imbued with ritual significance throughout history. They are fetishes, charged with the psychological power to assuage our deepest fears. As we gaze upon this humble object, let us reflect on the countless generations who have sought solace in the promise of a locked door, a guarded threshold, a symbolic barrier against the unknown.