Description
Copy of a lever action key found on Gotland. The steward of the house carried a key like this to open and close chests and rooms where valuable items were stored. Presentation of a key during the marriage ceremony publically established the status of the receiver and the trust placed in them.
Lever style keys were very popular during the late Bronze Age and Viking Period to slide a lock mechanism open and closed. They may look simple, but the pins on the key had to match the spacing, pattern and depth of slots in the lock mechanism. The original key is in the Swedish National Historic Museum, Stockholm.
