The shackles are an iron arch, almost semicircular, with two holes, one for each end, where it was passing a pivot, blocked for a wedge, to secure the chain. There are also other kind of shackles, that could be used for the neck (neckcuff), for the legs (legscuff) or for the hands (handcuffs) of the prisoner and all these could be also used togheter at the same time.
The shackles were an extreme torture object, used in various ages, expecially in the medieval one. They were also used to bring the black slaves from Africa to Europe and America.
They were a symbol of the human degradation, and it remembers the violation of the human rights. They were also used in the beginning of the XX century. At the same time, they’re a positive symbol because it’s helping us to think and protect the parity and the dignity of all the people in front of the law.
