This linkspage was built on the foundation of research by Robert MacPherson and a conversation on the Armour Archive. I am grateful to Mac for allowing me to post his research here as well.

The links here represent different ways in which people carried their keys, including medieval keychains and keyrings. While it does, for the most part, eliminate the oversized keys as shown on images of St. Peter, there are several examples of St. Elizabeth carrying more realistic-looking household keys in depictions of the Visitation.

In addition to these examples, there are several metal rings in the Portable Antiquities Scheme finds database that may have been medieval keyrings, such as ESS-F6C1E1, ESS-F6B775, ESS-F6AD83, ESS-F697C6, ESS-E609F6, HAMP-872702, HAMP-7005D6, HAMP-67ABE4, HAMP-BAB9F4, HAMP-7C89B3, WILT-997275, WILT-B4B161, WILT-5A67C2, WILT-223662, WILT-F90530, WILT-AC6CD3, WILT-08BB45, WILT-1529C3, WILT-702FC4, WILT-6FE481, WILT-A313D4 and WILT-7FC084. Strap fitting LVPL-DD6134 has four loop holes with linked chains that could also have been used to hold keys. Strap fitting YORYM-FD9151 features a split ring that could have been used to hold keys.

• Set of keys, Gallo-Roman, 1st-6th centuries
• Key with a chain still attached (Portable Antiquities Scheme BERK-36E5B4), c. 43-410
• Medieval copper alloy chatelaine (Portable Antiquities Scheme LEIC-718A11), c. 1100-1500; “It has been cast in one piece and consists of an oval shaped loop with a sub-rectangular sectioned central cross bar which seperates a circular and an oval hole. The oval hole is an incomplete loop, having a small gap cast into it with triangular sectioned terminals, presumably to guide objects in and prevent them slipping off. The chatelaine is essentially a medieval key ring which would have hung from a belt or girdle.”
• St. Denis in front of Fescennius (fol. 14v), St. Denis imprisoned (fol. 32r), St. Denis in front of Fescennius (fol. 35v), Vita et Passio Beati Dionysii (BNF Fr. 2092), 1317
• A pawn wears a key at his waist, Jeu des échecs moralisé (PML G.52, fol. 40r), c. 1350-1360
• Surrender of a city to Phillip II of Macedonia (fol. 89r) and surrender of a Gaulish city to the Romans (fol. 181v), Histoire ancienne jusqu'à César (BNF Fr. 246), 1364
• Moses delivers a lance and the keys an official (fol. 9) and Moses delivers a lance and the keys to the pilgrim (fol. 10v), The Pilgrimage of Human Life (Bibl. Sainte-Geneviève 1130), c. 1366-1399
• The surrender of Compsa to Hannibal, Histoire romaine (Bibl. Sainte-Geneviève 777, fol. 205), c. 1370
• Fols. 70r, 101v, 110r, Fleurs des chroniques (Besançon 677), c. 1384-1400
• Surrender of Damietta, Speculum Historiale (BNF Fr. 314, fol. 423r), 1396
• Surrender of Locri, Ab urbe condita (BNF Fr. 32, fol. 53), end of the 14th century
• Surrender of Calais, Froissart's Chronicles (BNF Fr. 2663, fol. 164r), 1st quarter of the 15th century
• Surrender of Bruges, Froissart's Chronicles (BNF Fr. 2664, fol. 142), 1st quarter of the 15th century
• Surrender of Hangzhou (fol. 64r) and Surrender of Damascus (fol. 250v), Livre des Merveilles (BNF Fr. 2810), c. 1410-1412
• Zita has two keys hanging from her belt at the waist, Hours of William Porter (PML M.105, fol. 83r), c. 1420-1425
• Detail from Visitation, c. 1425-1435
• Men with keys in the Mendel Housebook: Genskrag (c. 1425), Cuntzlin (c. 1434), Ott (1443), Haincz Haß (1472), Heintz (1478), Hanns Hewsner (1483), Hanß Seydenfaden, Merten Peßler (1539), Conradt Zeylner (1564), Michell Minderlein (1574), Georg Loesser (1605), Hanns Jacob Schneider (1644), Leonhardt Gabriel (1650)
• Visitation from the St. James Altarpiece of the Convent of St. Agnes of Bohemia, c. 1430
• Surrender of Babylon, Histoire d'Alexandre (BNF Fr. 9342, fol. 199v), mid-15th century
• Charles of Lower Lorraine is a captive, De casibus (BNF Fr. 230, fol. 254), 3rd quarter of the 15th century
• Surrender of Rouen, chronique de Normandie (BNF Fr. 2623, fol. 106bis), c. 1460
• Hand-off of the keys to the city to the victors of the siege, Renaut de Montauban (BNF Arsenal 5072, fol. 277v), c. 1462-1470
• Fols. 267v and 268v, Schachzabelbuch (WLB Cod.poet.et phil.fol.2), 1467
• Liberation of the Carthaginian prisoners, Facta et dicta memorabilia (BNF Fr. 284, fol. 120), before 1469
• Detail from Adoration of the Magi, c. 1469-1480
• The Legend of Saint Géry, c. 1470
• Iseut imprisoned, Tristan de Léonois (BNF Fr. 102, fol. 74v), c. 1470
• Surrender of Santiago de Compostela, Froissart's Chronicles (BNF Fr. 2645, fol. 122), c. 1470-1475
• Surrender of Melun, Froissart's Chronicles (BNF Fr. 2691, fol. XLVIv), c. 1470-1480
• Surrender of Babylon, Historiae Alexandri Magni (BNF Fr. 48, fol. 39), c. 1470-1480
• Joseph and his brothers by Leonhard von Brixen, 1472
To the right worshipfull and reverent Priour of Cristis Church in Canterbury.

My Lord I recommende me unto youre good Lordschip, to he which that lyke to knowe that ye schall resseve by Bremse gooldsmith yowre powche and keyband with the keverynge; on the which ar made and set ij. porses with owteforth, accordyng to youre comaundement. Sir, I have payd for ij. gootis skyn where of youre pouche and the keverynge for yowre keyes was made, and j. reed scheppys skyn for the lynynge xiiij. d. Payd also for the makynge of all the sylke and the cheynys of laton ij. s. viij. d.-iij. s. x. d. Sir, the Knoppys [and] the Botons to youre pouche waye 1 ounce and half quarter wyght. What he will have for the makynge I can not sertefye you; oon of your tresorerers that causyd me to do make youre powche be spake them and asingyd me where to fecche them. More wryte I nat to yowre Lordschip at this tyme; but Almyghti Jesu gyde yow and spede you in al youre werkis; and yf eny servyse be ther that I may do I beseche yow My Lord nat to spare me; Sir treuly I schall do my trewe delygense and labour in that me ys.
Be youre trewe lover and servaunt,
William Prat, Mercer
[14 July 1474, from Literæ Cantuarienses]
• Host, Schachzabelbuch (ÖNB 3049, fol. 91v), 1479
• Athenio frees the prisoners, Cas des nobles hommes et femmes malheureux (PML G.35, fol. 205r), c. 1480
• The Birth of Mary, c. 1480-1500
• Detail of a keyring from The Birth of Mary, 1481
• The citizens of Rouen give the keys to Charles VII, Vigiles de Charles VII (BNF Fr. 5054, fol. 183r), 1484
• The Death of St. Corbinian by Jan Polack, c. 1484-1485
• Massacre of the Innocents by Jan Polack, c. 1485-1495
• St. Corbinian's visitation to the nunnery, c. 1485-1495
• Key ring (?) with lovers (Met 68.141.2), late 15th century
• Loyalty, Le Secret des Secrets (BNF NAF 18145, fol. 94r), 1490?
• Detail from The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, c. 1490-1500
• Couple Seated on a Bed, from Scenes of Daily Life by Israhel van Meckenem, c. 1490-1503
• Detail from The Birth of Mary by Hans Holbein the Elder, 1493
• Visitation, c. 1495-1505
• Visitation< c. 1495-1505
• Keychain (Museum für angewandte Kunst F 1251), c. 1495-1505
• Saint Peter and a Donor by Aelbrecht Bouts
• Keys and leather belt that belonged to the doorkeeper of the Star Chamber, an English law court at the Palace of Westminster (MoL 27.131/1), c. 1500
• The Discovery of the True Cross, c. 1500-1510
• Holy Kinship, c. 1500-1525
• The Birth of the Virgin by Albrecht Dürer, 1503
• Visitation by Albrecht Dürer, 1503
• Visitation, 1504
• The Presentation of Christ in the Temple by Albrecht Dürer, 1505
• Christ Taking Leave of His Mother by Albrecht Dürer, 1505
• Lamentation by Albrecht Dürer, 1507
• Detail of a boy with a key on his belt in Ecce Homo, c. 1508-1517
• Christ taking leave of his mother by Hans Köhler, c. 1513-1520
• Peasant Couple Dancing by Albrecht Dürer, 1514
• Melencolia I by Albrecht Dürer, 1514
• Madonna by the Wall by Albrecht Dürer, 1514
• Detail of a keyring on a chair in The Birth of St. Nicholas, 1514
• St. Anne from the Meeting at the Golden Gate, 1514
• Visitation by the Maestro de Sigena, c. 1515-1519
• St. Crispin and St. Crispinian, c. 1515-1525
• Visitation, c. 1515-1525
• St. Peter, c. 1515-1525
• Detail from the Mockery of Job, c. 1515-1525
• Annunciation to Joachim, 1517
• Detail from Visitation by Sebastian Taig, c. 1518-1522
• Pauly Mauser in the Landauer Housebook (Amb. 279.2, fol. 10v), 1519
• The Merchant Georg Gisze by Hans Holbein the Younger, 1532 (follow the line of his cap to the right; the keys are hung from a nail in the wall)
• Mid-16th century keys on their original brass chain
• Set of three iron keys on a copper alloy ring found at New Fresh Wharf, Lower Thames Street, London (MoL A2862), 16th century; “The ring is made of two thin pieces, which have holes at both ends, joined together.”
• The Miracle of the Host, c. 1550-1600
• A woman in a grey dress in the foreground of The Peasant Dance by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1567
• A bunch of eight cabinet keys and a door key found in Loch Leven in Kinross-shire dating from the 16th century; “It has been suggested that these are keys of Loch Leven Castle thrown away when Mary, Queen of Scots made her escape from captivity in 1568.”
• A nagging wife and a spinning man by Jacob de Gheyn the Younger, c. 1593-1597
• Two keys and key ring (Met 1975.436.5 a-c), 16th-17th century, probably Italian
• Hans V. Khevenhüller, sons and daughters of Barthelmä Khevenhüllers and Anna Graf von Schernberg, children of Barthelmäs Khevenhüller and Blanka Ludmilla, Franz Christoph Khevenhüller and Barbara, Moritz Christoph Khevenhüller und Sibylla, c. 1624-1625
• Chatelaine (Portable Antiquities Scheme LON-794E32), c. 1650-1700
• Detail from View of an Interior by Samuel von Hoogstraten, c. 1654-1662
• Old woman at prayer by Nicolaas Maes, c. 1656
• Drawing of a peasant woman by Pieter Bout