Accession Number
2009/2.58

Title
Lock for Chest

Artist(s)
Korean

Artist Nationality
Korean (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
late 19th–early 20th century

Medium & Support
metal

Dimensions
2 x 3 3/4 x 7/8 in. (5 x 9.4 x 2.1 cm);5 in. (12.7 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Ok Ja Chang and the Chang Family

Physical Description
A large rectangular metal bar lock, similar to a u-bar lock fitted with a long key, meant to use as a lock for a chest.

This bucket-shaped iron lock was made for a chest with a downward opening door (bandaji ). In contrast to conventional locks shaped like the Korean letter “ㄷ,” which are designed to have the key inserted at the right-hand end, this one has an unusual structure that requires insertion of the key at the front near the right end of the lock. The key was made by bending one end of a stick; two tips protruding upward were then soldered to the stick near its bend.

[Korean Collection, University of Michigan Museum of Art (2017), 245]

Primary Object Classification
Furniture and Furniture Accessories

Primary Object Type
lock

Collection Area
Asian

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form. Keywords
Korean (culture or style)
buckets (vessels)
keys (hardware)
locks (securing devices)