October 27, 2025 • 13 mins
Like a noir detective, this key with a horsehead handle becomes embroiled in a mysterious disappearance—her very own! Help her investigate the blacksmith’s workshop and solve the case so she can open her special box again.
This podcast uses episode-specific artwork. If you don’t see an image of the horsehead key with this episode, you may have to turn on this setting in your podcast app.
For a listening guide, a coloring sheet, images, and more, visit getty.edu/podcasts/if-objects-could-talk/.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Announcer (00:00):
This is a Getty podcast.
Host (00:05):
Need something locked up?
Well today’s guest can helpplay a key role—because
she’s literally a key!
Welcome to If Objects CouldTalk, a podcast where art
and artifacts get to leavethe museum vault and tell
their side of the story.
Thanks for joining us as webring objects into the light!
(00:30):
Have you ever gotten locked outof your house or been late to
an event because your parentsjust could not find their keys?
Or maybe you’ve tried to keepyour diary private...only to
walk in on one of your siblingstrying to pick the lock?
If you’ve ever used a lockand key, you’ve relied
(00:52):
on the same tools peoplehave used for millennia!
Even today, in a world thatis increasingly digital,
we often still use small,metal keys to keep our most
valuable possessions safe.
Today’s guest is an elegantRoman key with a handle
shaped like a horse’s head.
(01:15):
And she knows the keyto any good story is a
little bit of mystery!
Horsehead Key (01:25):
Time has a way of swallowing up objects.
Broken, lost, melted down.
Not all of ussurvive our pasts...
It was a dark and stormyday about one thousand,
eight hundred years agowhen I was made and then
nearly lost to history.
(01:47):
But before you can understandmy tale, you must first
know the facts of the case.
Fact one (01:54):
Fact one
I’m about
Horsehead Key (01:57):
the length of a toothbrush, with an iron shaft
and a handle made of bronze.
The first thing you’llnotice is my face.
It’s on my handle and it'sshaped like a horse’s head.
My mane is swept backas if I were charging
forward into battle
(02:20):
and my ears are pinned tothe side of my head, which
says “back off!” or “watchout!” in horse-body-language.
I was made by a smith usingthe lost wax casting method.
That femme fatale Bastet told meshe's already been interrogated
and spilled the beans aboutlost wax casting, so I won’t
(02:44):
linger over the details.
But my bronze horse-headedhandle is only half of me.
There’s also my key, whichwas forged from iron.
Can you find a key right now?
It could be a house key ora car key, doesn’t matter.
Got one?
I knew you had it in you, kid.
(03:04):
Alright.
Now run one of your fingerson the edge of the key.
Does it feel like yourfinger is running up and down
little mountains and valleys?
That part of the key, thepart where some edges stick
out and some edges cut in, iscalled the “bit.” My bit has
eight slots; It almost lookslike a piece of abstract art.
(03:30):
Now, if you’ve got thechance, try something for me.
Try putting that key ofyours into the wrong lock.
Huh.
Yup.
May not even fit.
Or maybe it just barelyfits, but you can’t turn it.
Inside that lock, there are flatparts called levers and wards.
(03:52):
A key’s bit is made tofit inside of a lock,
where those mountains canpush the levers while the
valleys avoid the wards.
Get the right bitinto the right fit?
The levers will lift,which will turn the bolt
in the lock, opening it.
And jiminy cricket.
You’re home free!
(04:16):
Keys can do all kinds of things.
Keep people out.
Keep belongings secure.
Used to be, if you wantedsomething like that done,
you’d have to hire somemuscle to protect your pieces.
But locks changed all that.
Now you didn’t need a personto protect your fine jewels,
your secret stashes of gold,or those cool, little, fruit
(04:39):
shaped erasers you don’t wantyour baby sister to swallow.
You just needed alock, box, and key.
My type of lock, the lever lock,was invented in the Near East
about four thousand years ago.
The Romans took that technologyand made more complex versions.
(05:01):
And they didn’t just makekeys that were useful.
They made keys thatwere beautiful.
The Romans liked to decoratetheir keys and they especially
liked to decorate with animals.
Lions, panthers, bears,and of course, horses,
(05:22):
were frequently featured.
Some keys were evendecorated with pets.
One of my good friendsat the Getty is a key
with a dog-shaped handle.
He’s a very good boy withfuzzy hair engraved into
his metal form, looking upinto the eyes of his owner.
Cute, huh?
Gives you a lot to think about.
What kind of animal wouldyou use to decorate your key?
(05:44):
A dangerous one?
A friendly one?
Maybe even an imaginary one?
And what would thatchoice say about you?
Give it some thoughtand get back to me.
Like I said, there are a lotof animals to choose from.
But the horse—there’s somethingabout a horse that captures the
(06:07):
human imagination like no other.
From Paleolithic cave paintingsin France to terracotta
figures in China, humanslove making art of horses.
Why?
Just think about howimportant horses would be
in a world without cars orother modern transportation.
(06:30):
Horses made managinglivestock easier.
They meant it was possibleto carry heavier loads
across longer distances.
And they wereindispensable in battle.
In the Greco-Roman world,chariot racing was a popular
sport, where drivers would steerracing horses as they pulled
(06:52):
carts around a grand arena.
It became a signalof special events.
Horses, in turn, becamesymbols of celebration,
wealth, and power.
And where there’s power, there’ssomeone desperate to seize it.
Which brings us to our case.
(07:13):
It was a dark and stormy day.
So stormy, in fact, that Abietaand her little brother Septimius
could not go outside to play.
They were the children of ablacksmith, and grew up living
and playing in a smithy.
See, in Roman times, workshopswere sometimes separate
(07:34):
buildings, but they couldalso be connected to the home.
Abieta and Septimius’father had gone for the one
with the shorter commute.
Maybe he was regretting thatas the children ran through
his workshop on this rainy day.
Trying to keep the kids inline, their father showed
(07:55):
them the project he’d beenworking on: a key and lock
box for a wealthy patron.
You guessed it (08:01):
that was me.
Abieta marveled at myingenuity of the bit on the
key and the wards on the lock.
Septimius justliked my horse-head.
When the wealthy patron arrived,their father rushed off to give
a warm welcome, with Abietaon his heels, curious about
(08:25):
the patron who had requestedthe horse-headed handle.
The wealthy patronwas a horse breeder.
He wanted a way to lock upthe important papers that
detailed purchases and sales.
But he also wanted toshow off his line of
work at the same time.
He looked shrewdly aroundthe workshop as he came in,
(08:47):
inspecting the differentprojects workers were pounding
and hammering away at.
But when Abieta’s fatherwent to show him the lock
box and key, I was gone!
That’s right...this wasthe case of the missing me!
Abieta saw the panic in herfather’s eyes and thought fast.
(09:11):
She explained to the wealthypatron that there was no use at
all in having a lock box if thelock could simply be picked!
Now the patron had achance to see for himself
how secure the lock was.
He could use any of thetools in the workshop to
try and pick the lock.
And when he gave up, theywould show him the key
(09:33):
that could unlock the box!
Abieta’s father looked relievedat her ingenuity, but there
was still one problem—theydidn’t have a clue where I was.
Or at least...her fatherdidn’t have a clue.
Abieta had the makingof a great gumshoe.
(09:53):
She’d seen Septimius’ wanderingeye and knew that boy could
make trouble out of nothing.
She had to find him, sothat she could find me.
She lined up the facts.
First, Septimius would wantto be hidden, so that he could
play with his stolen toy.
(10:14):
Second, it was nearly lunchtime,and he’d likely be hungry.
And third, her little brotherhad no fear of rain or mud.
The kitchen garden!
That was where he would be.
Located right outside thekitchen, many Roman homes had
a private garden filled withherbs and edible plants that
(10:38):
were perfect for snacking.
Doesn’t take a detective tounderstand why it’s sometimes
called the “herb garden.”
Abieta rushed out into the rain.
And there we were,frolicking through the
basil, thyme, and costmary.
I mean, I was kidnapped andheld against my will, drenched
(10:59):
in the cold and bitter rain.
But Septimius, well,Septimius was frolicking.
Abieta snatched me fromher brother and raced
back to the workshop.
And not a moment too soon.
The wealthy patron hadtired of the lock picking
game and was satisfied withthe security of the box.
(11:23):
He was relieved and impressedwhen Abieta revealed my
majestic equine form to him.
And then she slidme into the lock.
Bingo!
We were back in business.
Abieta’s father made thesale and Septimius was put
in time-out for his crimes.
(11:44):
So here’s one last fact youneed to know about keys: we
only work when you can find us.
Host (11:56):
I hope you enjoyed learning about horses and keys.
Now, this is usually where I’dtell you who’ll be in the studio
next week—but this was the lastepisode of our first season!
If you enjoyed the series,share it with your friends and
leave us a comment or reviewon your favorite podcast app!
(12:18):
If you have questions or ideasfor future episodes, write
to us or send us a voice memoat podteam at getty dot edu.
To see photographs of thehorse key and learn more
about this episode and all ourepisodes, visit our website at
Getty dot edu slash podcasts
(12:42):
This episode was writtenby Claire Hupy and
produced by Zoe Goldman.
Katie Jostock voiced the horse.
Theme music, mixing, and sounddesign by Alexandra Kalinowski.
Christopher Sprinkleis executive producer.
Special thanks to curatorsKen Lapatin, Judith
Barr, and Hana Sugioka.
(13:03):
Catch you next time!
This is a Getty podcast.
Host (00:05):
Need something locked up?
Well today’s guest can helpplay a key role—because
she’s literally a key!
Welcome to If Objects CouldTalk, a podcast where art
and artifacts get to leavethe museum vault and tell
their side of the story.
Thanks for joining us as webring objects into the light!
(00:30):
Have you ever gotten locked outof your house or been late to
an event because your parentsjust could not find their keys?
Or maybe you’ve tried to keepyour diary private...only to
walk in on one of your siblingstrying to pick the lock?
If you’ve ever used a lockand key, you’ve relied
(00:52):
on the same tools peoplehave used for millennia!
Even today, in a world thatis increasingly digital,
we often still use small,metal keys to keep our most
valuable possessions safe.
Today’s guest is an elegantRoman key with a handle
shaped like a horse’s head.
(01:15):
And she knows the keyto any good story is a
little bit of mystery!
Horsehead Key (01:25):
Time has a way of swallowing up objects.
Broken, lost, melted down.
Not all of ussurvive our pasts...
It was a dark and stormyday about one thousand,
eight hundred years agowhen I was made and then
nearly lost to history.
(01:47):
But before you can understandmy tale, you must first
know the facts of the case.
Fact one (01:54):
Fact one
I’m about
Horsehead Key (01:57):
the length of a toothbrush, with an iron shaft
and a handle made of bronze.
The first thing you’llnotice is my face.
It’s on my handle and it'sshaped like a horse’s head.
My mane is swept backas if I were charging
forward into battle
(02:20):
and my ears are pinned tothe side of my head, which
says “back off!” or “watchout!” in horse-body-language.
I was made by a smith usingthe lost wax casting method.
That femme fatale Bastet told meshe's already been interrogated
and spilled the beans aboutlost wax casting, so I won’t
(02:44):
linger over the details.
But my bronze horse-headedhandle is only half of me.
There’s also my key, whichwas forged from iron.
Can you find a key right now?
It could be a house key ora car key, doesn’t matter.
Got one?
I knew you had it in you, kid.
(03:04):
Alright.
Now run one of your fingerson the edge of the key.
Does it feel like yourfinger is running up and down
little mountains and valleys?
That part of the key, thepart where some edges stick
out and some edges cut in, iscalled the “bit.” My bit has
eight slots; It almost lookslike a piece of abstract art.
(03:30):
Now, if you’ve got thechance, try something for me.
Try putting that key ofyours into the wrong lock.
Huh.
Yup.
May not even fit.
Or maybe it just barelyfits, but you can’t turn it.
Inside that lock, there are flatparts called levers and wards.
(03:52):
A key’s bit is made tofit inside of a lock,
where those mountains canpush the levers while the
valleys avoid the wards.
Get the right bitinto the right fit?
The levers will lift,which will turn the bolt
in the lock, opening it.
And jiminy cricket.
You’re home free!
(04:16):
Keys can do all kinds of things.
Keep people out.
Keep belongings secure.
Used to be, if you wantedsomething like that done,
you’d have to hire somemuscle to protect your pieces.
But locks changed all that.
Now you didn’t need a personto protect your fine jewels,
your secret stashes of gold,or those cool, little, fruit
(04:39):
shaped erasers you don’t wantyour baby sister to swallow.
You just needed alock, box, and key.
My type of lock, the lever lock,was invented in the Near East
about four thousand years ago.
The Romans took that technologyand made more complex versions.
(05:01):
And they didn’t just makekeys that were useful.
They made keys thatwere beautiful.
The Romans liked to decoratetheir keys and they especially
liked to decorate with animals.
Lions, panthers, bears,and of course, horses,
(05:22):
were frequently featured.
Some keys were evendecorated with pets.
One of my good friendsat the Getty is a key
with a dog-shaped handle.
He’s a very good boy withfuzzy hair engraved into
his metal form, looking upinto the eyes of his owner.
Cute, huh?
Gives you a lot to think about.
What kind of animal wouldyou use to decorate your key?
(05:44):
A dangerous one?
A friendly one?
Maybe even an imaginary one?
And what would thatchoice say about you?
Give it some thoughtand get back to me.
Like I said, there are a lotof animals to choose from.
But the horse—there’s somethingabout a horse that captures the
(06:07):
human imagination like no other.
From Paleolithic cave paintingsin France to terracotta
figures in China, humanslove making art of horses.
Why?
Just think about howimportant horses would be
in a world without cars orother modern transportation.
(06:30):
Horses made managinglivestock easier.
They meant it was possibleto carry heavier loads
across longer distances.
And they wereindispensable in battle.
In the Greco-Roman world,chariot racing was a popular
sport, where drivers would steerracing horses as they pulled
(06:52):
carts around a grand arena.
It became a signalof special events.
Horses, in turn, becamesymbols of celebration,
wealth, and power.
And where there’s power, there’ssomeone desperate to seize it.
Which brings us to our case.
(07:13):
It was a dark and stormy day.
So stormy, in fact, that Abietaand her little brother Septimius
could not go outside to play.
They were the children of ablacksmith, and grew up living
and playing in a smithy.
See, in Roman times, workshopswere sometimes separate
(07:34):
buildings, but they couldalso be connected to the home.
Abieta and Septimius’father had gone for the one
with the shorter commute.
Maybe he was regretting thatas the children ran through
his workshop on this rainy day.
Trying to keep the kids inline, their father showed
(07:55):
them the project he’d beenworking on: a key and lock
box for a wealthy patron.
You guessed it (08:01):
that was me.
Abieta marveled at myingenuity of the bit on the
key and the wards on the lock.
Septimius justliked my horse-head.
When the wealthy patron arrived,their father rushed off to give
a warm welcome, with Abietaon his heels, curious about
(08:25):
the patron who had requestedthe horse-headed handle.
The wealthy patronwas a horse breeder.
He wanted a way to lock upthe important papers that
detailed purchases and sales.
But he also wanted toshow off his line of
work at the same time.
He looked shrewdly aroundthe workshop as he came in,
(08:47):
inspecting the differentprojects workers were pounding
and hammering away at.
But when Abieta’s fatherwent to show him the lock
box and key, I was gone!
That’s right...this wasthe case of the missing me!
Abieta saw the panic in herfather’s eyes and thought fast.
(09:11):
She explained to the wealthypatron that there was no use at
all in having a lock box if thelock could simply be picked!
Now the patron had achance to see for himself
how secure the lock was.
He could use any of thetools in the workshop to
try and pick the lock.
And when he gave up, theywould show him the key
(09:33):
that could unlock the box!
Abieta’s father looked relievedat her ingenuity, but there
was still one problem—theydidn’t have a clue where I was.
Or at least...her fatherdidn’t have a clue.
Abieta had the makingof a great gumshoe.
(09:53):
She’d seen Septimius’ wanderingeye and knew that boy could
make trouble out of nothing.
She had to find him, sothat she could find me.
She lined up the facts.
First, Septimius would wantto be hidden, so that he could
play with his stolen toy.
(10:14):
Second, it was nearly lunchtime,and he’d likely be hungry.
And third, her little brotherhad no fear of rain or mud.
The kitchen garden!
That was where he would be.
Located right outside thekitchen, many Roman homes had
a private garden filled withherbs and edible plants that
(10:38):
were perfect for snacking.
Doesn’t take a detective tounderstand why it’s sometimes
called the “herb garden.”
Abieta rushed out into the rain.
And there we were,frolicking through the
basil, thyme, and costmary.
I mean, I was kidnapped andheld against my will, drenched
(10:59):
in the cold and bitter rain.
But Septimius, well,Septimius was frolicking.
Abieta snatched me fromher brother and raced
back to the workshop.
And not a moment too soon.
The wealthy patron hadtired of the lock picking
game and was satisfied withthe security of the box.
(11:23):
He was relieved and impressedwhen Abieta revealed my
majestic equine form to him.
And then she slidme into the lock.
Bingo!
We were back in business.
Abieta’s father made thesale and Septimius was put
in time-out for his crimes.
(11:44):
So here’s one last fact youneed to know about keys: we
only work when you can find us.
Host (11:56):
I hope you enjoyed learning about horses and keys.
Now, this is usually where I’dtell you who’ll be in the studio
next week—but this was the lastepisode of our first season!
If you enjoyed the series,share it with your friends and
leave us a comment or reviewon your favorite podcast app!
(12:18):
If you have questions or ideasfor future episodes, write
to us or send us a voice memoat podteam at getty dot edu.
To see photographs of thehorse key and learn more
about this episode and all ourepisodes, visit our website at
Getty dot edu slash podcasts
(12:42):
This episode was writtenby Claire Hupy and
produced by Zoe Goldman.
Katie Jostock voiced the horse.
Theme music, mixing, and sounddesign by Alexandra Kalinowski.
Christopher Sprinkleis executive producer.
Special thanks to curatorsKen Lapatin, Judith
Barr, and Hana Sugioka.
(13:03):
Catch you next time!
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