Beautiful Antique Door Knockers. Wednesday, Jun 18 2008

The central focus of a entrance door is the door knocker, it is a bold statement about you and your property, and is perhaps the only decorative element that the passers by see which offers a idea of your taste and aesthetic appreciation. Your front door is at the centre of the property and helps define its architectural style, for instance the location of the windows, steps, flower beds etc all revolve around the entrance. The focal point of the entrance is the main door and the focal point of the main door should be the door knocker.

We don’t need door knockers any more; they were made obsolete by electric bells that sit discreetly to the side of the door. Door bells are available in a vast range of finishes but the one thing they lack is the elegance and decoration that a solid door knocker offers. At the center of the door, the door knocker really is the cherry on a pie.

I don’t know when the first door knocker evolved, I can’t imagine the Romans passing by such opportunity to decorate a door. Equally they must have been used for centuries well before the Romans as a purely functional tool for knocking at a door. Perhaps a rock tied to a piece of rope?

The earliest decorative door knockers would have been of bronze, and then wrought iron produced by the local farrier. It wasn’t until the 19th century that mass production allowed knockers of all types to be made, only limited by the quality of iron and the casting process. By the second half of the 19th century, the major cast iron producing towns had the process down to a fine art, they could produce in bulk, with high quality pure iron ore that allowed the designers of the day to develop all sorts of decorative pieces with the freedom a material that was strong, malleable, and long lasting.

I think a door is something to be celebrated, and what better way to do that than fix a superb door knocker to it! The door knocker will never go out of fashion, and it is certainly worth sourcing an original antique beautiful knocker for your door.

A rare antique georgian cast iron door knocker in the form of a dolphin, the twisted body crowned by a fanned tail is decorated with a bold anthemion and scales. Retaining a superb patina all over the body. This door knocker weighs 1.8kg and measures 21cm from tail to head. The knocker retains its original bolt and thread which are now cleaned and in good working order. The steel knocking bolt is later (not shown)

England, circa 1800

This is priced at GBP£265

Kenrick 405 model door knocker, England, circa 1880. Sold

A classic design inspired by geometric patterns and a revived interest in natural forms.

A fine Kenrick stamped door knocker model 400 Circa 1850, For Sale GBP£125

This door knocker has a very ornate design inspired by Egyptian revival patterns combined with naturalistic details. It is very finely cast.

For Sale £125.00

Kenrick Bat Door Knocker

A superb example of this highly rare door knocker. The Bat door knocker was issued to employees of the Kenrick factory. It was used to identify the houses of its employees. Fully stamped on verso. This knocker has a new spring for the letter flap.

£SOLD