Collections Online

Key is mounted in the recess of a blue velvet- covered board. Below is a rectangular, cream plaque (held to the board with pins on all four corners) which bears an inscription (see Inscriptions/marks tab). The board consists of an upper board (with a recess cut out to accommodate the thickness of the key) which has been glued (with animal glue) to a slightly larger back board. The back board has been covered with a fabric that has a black coating to give it the resemblance of leather. A hinged mirror plate is attached to the upper edge of the reverse using two screws. The blue velvet fabric on the front of the board is extremely degraded apart from in the recess (where it has been protected from the key), underneath the cream plaque and along the sides. Everywhere else, the blue silk pile has faded to a pale grey and has become eroded in most areas leaving only the brown cellulosic ground weave in place. The key mount would probably have been covered.