Door knocker

Iron door knocker, from the 15th–16th centuries, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City)
The sound of a door knocker
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A door knocker is an item of door furniture that allows people outside a house or other dwelling or building to alert those inside to their presence. A door knocker has a part fixed to the door, and a part (usually metal) which is attached to the door by a hinge, and may be lifted and used to strike a plate fitted to the door, or the door itself, making a noise. The struck plate, if present, would be supplied and fitted with the knocker. Door knockers are often ornate, but may be no more than a simple fitting with a metal bob, or ring.

Types

German professor Franz Sales Meyer distinguished three kinds of door knocker: the "ring", the "hammer", and an ornate category which could take the shape of an animal or another figure.[1] High demand for antique door knockers in the early 20th century in the United States caused forged versions to emerge.[2]

Gallery

  • A British cast iron door knocker
    A British cast iron door knocker
  • "Ring of Mercy" on the Dom (Cathedral) St. Maria. of Augsburg.
    "Ring of Mercy" on the Dom (Cathedral) St. Maria. of Augsburg.
  • Dragonhead door knockers, Bulguksa Temple, Gyeongju, South Korea
    Dragonhead door knockers, Bulguksa Temple, Gyeongju, South Korea
  • Hamsa door knocker in Morocco
    Hamsa door knocker in Morocco
  • Angel door knocker in Harderwijk, the Netherlands
    Angel door knocker in Harderwijk, the Netherlands
  • Door knocker in Venice
    Door knocker in Venice
  • Door knocker in Orléans, France
    Door knocker in Orléans, France
  • Door knocker in Haji Bulagi House, Iran
    Door knocker in Haji Bulagi House, Iran
  • Door knocker in Behnam House, Iran
    Door knocker in Behnam House, Iran
  • A door in Fez, Morocco with two knockers. Traditionally, one was used by women and the other by men (see top left).
    A door in Fez, Morocco with two knockers. Traditionally, one was used by women and the other by men (see top left).
  • Door knocker depicting an Eagle warrior in Querétaro, Mexico.
    Door knocker depicting an Eagle warrior in Querétaro, Mexico.
  • Hand-shaped door knocker in Spain
    Hand-shaped door knocker in Spain
  • Lion head door knocker at the Raczyńskich Library
    Lion head door knocker at the Raczyńskich Library
  • Renaissance door knocker in Toulouse, France
    Renaissance door knocker in Toulouse, France

See also

References

  1. ^ Franz Sales, Meyer (1896). texts A Handbook Of Ornament: With Three Hundred Plates, Containing About Three Thousand Illustrations Of The Elements, And The Application Of Decoration To Objects. B. T. Batsford. pp. 408–410. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  2. ^ Atlee Barber, Edwin (January 1910). "Old Door-Knockers". Bulletin of the Pennsylvania Museum. 8 (29): 5–9. doi:10.2307/3793788. JSTOR 3793788.

External links

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