OUR ANCIENT LOCKS TELL A RIVETING STORY, SAY INDIA’S BIGGEST COLLECTORS
His collection comprises about 750 unique locks — one shaped like a girl with her hands joined in a namaste; another a Mughal-era combination lock with Arabic text inscribed in its rotating dial. The right sequence of text is a verse from the Quran. These were sourced from Rajasthan.
“In pre-Independence India, parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat were individual principalities with trading communities and a lot of wealth. So lock-making became an important part of the culture,” Raghunathan says. His collection also features pieces from the other lock-manufacturing hubs in India such as Jammu & Kashmir, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh.
FORM & FUNCTION
In 19th century India, the type of lock you used told a story. A temple lock often had motifs relating to the deity. A padlock that took five keys to open could indicate a joint family of businessmen who didn’t trust one another.
“Indian locks were known for their functionality and ingenuity,” Raghunathan says. “There are locks where you can see the keyhole and have the key in your hand, yet the method of inserting the key is so complex, such a spatial puzzle, that it can take half a day to open it.”
The most valuable collection of trick locks in India belongs to Dr Hiren Shah, 60, an Ahmedabad-based paediatrician. “They’re mechanical puzzles that I find exciting to solve,” he says. His collection, pieced together over 25 years, features over 2,000 original pieces with about 500 different trick or puzzle locks.
Over the years, he has been invited to conferences and lock collectors’ meets in Germany, China, France and Australia to talk about his collection.
“Ancient locks haven’t been given their due in India. You won’t find extensive collections in museums, or books on them,” says Raghunathan, who is planning a book himself. Shah has set up a house museum displaying his precious collection.
Last year, the Patels showcased their collection at an exhibition in Vadodara. This May, they were invited to showcase selected pieces an exhibition organised by the municipal corporation of Surat. “We were told that in Surat, about 2 lakh visitors saw the locks,” says Patel. “I believe it’s important for people to know about these old locks. A lock, after all, is a symbol of trust.”