Gilded silver Bible locks, Amsterdam, 1775

Museum-quality gilded silver Bible locks, made by an unknown silversmith from Amsterdam in 1775.

Unfortunately, the master mark IZ or ZI cannot be traced back to a silversmith. Hundreds of master marks from Amsterdam could not be identified by Karel Citroen because the archival material from the city was lost. This master mark is also not included in the records.

What we do know is that the Bible locks are hallmarked with the Amsterdam city hallmark and bear the date letter Q for 1775. We also know that the second grade is silver because the date letter hangs at the bottom of the city hallmark.

The Bible locks are in excellent condition, and it's questionable whether they were ever used. We've never encountered such sharp images before.

The mutineers and the appendages depict the Four Evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John): Matthew (with an angel), Mark (with a lion), Luke (with an ox), and John (with an eagle). Moses and Aaron are depicted on the clamps.

They are suitable for a Bible with a thickness of approximately 4.5 cm.

The locks weigh 76.6 grams and the dimensions are: 3 x 11 cm.