17th Cty Large Wden Carved Barrel Key/lock, Framed By 2 Phoenix

FOLK ART

HERE... A TRUE MIRACLE !!!

Superb and thick wooden panel richly carved, originally entirely polychrome serving as a barrel key or lock for a barrel

Oak wood, showing ancient traces of wood-eating insects and with black marks of 'carbonization' on the back, clearly indicating that the decorative element miraculously survived a fire. The back of the panel exhibits crystallizations similar to those of wood that has remained for a prolonged time in a fire, turning into pieces of charcoal. The whole has been stabilized with a hardener without altering its patina.

These locks were often carved with symbolic motifs and showcased the wealth of the winemakers of yesteryear. These locks have often been the medium of exuberant folk art.

Origin: probably  Alsace, Flanders, or Germany
17th or first half of the 18th century.

"In Alsace, but also in Flanders, the work of wine has always been the subject of all attention; this undoubtedly explains the particular care given to the decoration of these barrel locks. These keys, regardless of their capacity - small barrel, tun, cask, pipe, or vat,... had a small door that allowed access to clean inside of the barrel. This small opening is maintained by a wooden beam called a lock or barrel key, often carved with emblematic motifs related to the figure of Bacchus or Dionysus."

Our example is carved at both ends with 2 very large fantsatic and mythological birds: 2 phoenix seem here to protect their barrel and its precious liquid. This mythical bird, endowed with great longevity and characterized by its power to be reborn either from its own corpse or from the flames of its pyre (!!!). It symbolizes a cycle of death and resurrection.

WHAT AN IDEAL SYMBOL THAT ITS SCULPTOR CHOSE WITH FORESIGHT, CENTURIES BEFORE ITS SURVIVAL FROM A FIRE !!!


*It should be noted here the exceptional Alsatian collection of wine-related objects belonging to Mr. Pierre WOLFF, gathered over the years and fueled by the tireless passion of the collector. Displayed in a barn and the buildings of his family wine estate in Mittelbergheim, it brought together some 170 barrel locks, dated from the 17th to the 19th centuries, with an incredible variety of subjets. The collection was then entirely transferred to another enthusiast of this regional folk art, and is now named the HENTZ collection, after its new owner.
*We can also mention the remarkable barrel dated 1767 from the Unterlinden Museum in Colmar dedicated to Wine and Wood
(see the last photos).

Dimensions :
57cm length * 23cm height * 12cm depth.