Doorlock
Kerala, South India
Iron, wood
23 by 14 inches (58.5 by 35.5 cm)
19th century 

This is a beautiful old ornate Manichitrathazhu iron lock, which has been oddly mounted on a piece of wood that may have originally served as a small cabinet door. It is oriented vertically, but was used in a horizontal aspect to adorn and lock the tall wooden doors in large Kerala mansions. To open, the latch is raised and the central bolt slides to the right, releasing the lock.

The trishula shape is associated with Hinduism and can symbolize the three aspects of consciousness (waking, dreaming and sleeping) as well the Supreme Being under three forms: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, which represent the creative, preservative, and destructive forces.
#3834

SOLD