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Hand Door Knocker
5" x 2" x 2"
Cast Iron
PORTUGAL
Doesn't the hand speak for itself? Knock-knock. Hand door-knockers such as this are commonly found in France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Portugal, Morocco, Egypt, and god only knows where else; I have seen them on two doors in the West Village. As you know, door knockers come in many shapes and sizes; the female hand with a ruffle sleeve and ring first appeared in the 19th century. Ours is produced by a cast-iron factory near Porto that has been in operation for more than 100 years. It is interestingly offered in both right- and left-handed models. In France, the hand often holds a pomegranate or apple; in Portugal, it holds what looks like a soccer ball. Often I have seen this described as being a Victorian, Westernized version of the Hand of Fatima. Although it is thought to be from Victorian times, I think it resembles a hand from the 1700s.