Basin-shaped lock

Korea

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 233

Created for security, locks are interesting objects in their melding of function and design. This lock retains the locking mechanism of the most common type from this period: a ㄷ-shaped shackle that is inserted and removed from the left. A major change is the keyhole shape and its location at the front. With the protruding circular keyhole, this type is referred to as basin-shape or, in Korean, as a belly-button lock. The shape of the key with its rounded head, circular shoulder and ridged blade, in particular, illustrates Western-style design that prompted new forms.

Basin-shaped lock, Copper alloy, Korea

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