About the object
There are several padlocks in the Collection, but this is the only key. Its dainty size suggests it fits a small padlock or chest, not a door. Whoever left the key with their baby may have kept the matching lock, hoping that one day they could use it to prove their connection and reclaim their child. Or they may have chosen a key for its symbolism – a wish for it to unlock a new and better life for the child. For now, we can only conjecture as we have not yet matched this token with a child’s record.
