The exhibition of the Tanais Archaeological Museum-Reserve features a bronze element of a lock — a herm-shaped hasp for a jewelry box. It was discovered in a burial during excavations at the Tanais necropolis in 1992.

A herm is a type of sculpture with a head and perhaps a torso above a four-sided column. In the case of a hasp, the herm is rather small. A herm is a long, rectangular column with detailed images of a head and phallus. The head features eyes, a nose, and a mouth, and a hairstyle with small curls. The shoulders are also marked. The column tapers at the bottom, and there are small protrusions on either side under the shoulders in the upper part. In the center of the column, there is an image of the phallus, and at the bottom end, there are two beads. On top of the head, there is a loop with a piece of wire which has remained threaded through it. The back of the loop is smooth, except for a loop at the end for a rectangular bolt.

It is remarkable that jewelry boxes had complex locking mechanisms but were also obviously unreliable as a repository for storing valuable possessions. It was quite easy to open such a box. Judging by the burials, there were no treasures buried inside such boxes. Instead, objects such as spinning wheels, needles, awls, beads, and rouge are found. It seems that owning a lockable box with a key held by the owner had more of a symbolic meaning, representing a personal space that seemed to be protected from intrusion. The boxes could have served not only to store valuables but also to display the social status and personality of the owner. Additionally, they could have had symbolic significance, serving not only for storing material possessions but also for preserving personal secrets, mementos, or religious artifacts. In this case, the lockable box and the key could symbolize protection and preservation of important things or ideas for the owner.