HvWO 006

Antique southern Omani or Yemeni Wooden lock with key
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Antique Omani Wooden lock with key

Very rare wooden lock with wooden key. (Rare to find with such fine old  dot in circle decoration and patina) Nicely carved and according to the patina on the wood  very old.  Purpose:  Typically to lock a door. Height 15 cm.  Ref 3 Oppenheim on page 250 contains a picture " Arabische Holzschlosser mit Schlussel"  of a similar (but undecorated) wooden lock from Iraq. This type of lock was used throughout the Middle East, but the decoration points more towards Oman or maybe Yemen.

antique Omani wooden lock

Arab Name: Qufl

Period: 1700-1850 (very old, see patina on the wood on the front)

Origin: Southern Oman; Nizwa souq

    References:
  1. British Museum Leila Ingrams collection has a modern copy of such a type of lock  in the on-line collection 2012,6030.209a-c purchased in the Hadramawt in the 1980´s.
  2. Craft heritage of Oman Neil Richardson & Maria Dorr Volume 2 page 463 illustration. 166; 
  3. Traditional crafts of Saudi Arabia 1981 by John Topham p 164
  4.  Max von Oppenheim in his book vom Mittelmeer zum Perzischen Golf band II page 250 "Arabische Holzschlussel mit schlussel"
  5. Oman and its Renaissance  by Sir Donald Hawley Stacey International London 1987 page 122 for a similar wooden lock. from Dhofar (Southern Oman)
  6. Tropenmuseum Amsterdam has a more recent example from Yemen.  Inventory TM-2489-23a dating before 1956