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This blog is dedicated to Malta - my island home. My aim is not to bore you with history but to share my thoughts and a few facts together with a photo or two. For a more in -depth background of the island please go here. The purpose of this blog is not to point out the short-comings of the island. There are plenty that do that already. My wish is to show you the beauty of an island at the cross roads of the Mediterranean, a melting pot of history; a place where fact and fiction are sometimes fused to create unique myths and legends; a country that has been conquered so many times that our culture is a mish mesh of the lands that surround us and of lands far away. I confess that my greatest desire is to make you fall in love with this tiny enchanting island.

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Monday 8 November 2010

Door Knockers of Malta

There was a time when every door on the island had some form of door knocker. Some were just simple rings but the door knockers of the large houses and palaces were works of art in brass or bronze. Today I am sharing some of my favourites.

Birgu 109

Mdina (3)

Medieval Mdina 111

Mdina (8)

While all of them served a practical purpose, looking at these door knockers of yesteryear makes me wonder whether there was some type of competition going on between the house owners as to who would come up with the most elaborate and beautiful door knocker. I will leave it up to each one of you to choose a favourite.

Mdina (29)

Medieval Mdina 120

Mdina (40)

Medieval Mdina 145

Door knockers were photographed in Birgu and Mdina.

17 comments:

  1. wow, these are really nice door knockers. i really like the lion one.

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  2. Ooh..wow..these are ALL fabulous..I am a doorknocker fan and have them at my home..so i loooove this post kindred! Yya..fantastic..Id say they are all faves to me!
    Great post Loree!
    Kiki~

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  3. The lion would be my favorite too. I mounted a black nut cracker by my door...it works perfect as a door knocker.

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  4. Oh my! These are fabulous and it would be impossible to pick a favorite. The combination of door knockers with the interesting colors is stunning! I think you need to make a collage of these and you only need one more to make it 3x3.

    Great post, Loree!

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  5. Fabulous, all of them. I sometimes wonder why we don't have them anymore on modern buildings, just for decorative purposes. I'm sure they can be found at antiques shops.

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  6. I love Maltese doors and the knockers. So unique. I have many photos of doors here, most people make fun of me for having so many photos of doors but I think they are quite beautiful and I love the bright colors. My hope is to one day have a home here with a knocker such as the ones you shared in the photos. Otherwise I might just buy one and hang in on the wall haha

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  7. Wow, they are amazing, very good, a piece of history...

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  8. They are all gorgeous but the lion is my favorite. I think door knockers are more interesting than door bells. Great collection!

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  9. Wow, this is a veritable treasure trove!
    I collect pictures of door knockers, mostly from Venice, but most of yours I have never before seen. They are gorgeous!

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  10. Loree, these are amazing!! And after my own heart. I love door knockers. That fish-creature (the 3rd one) is a design I saw in Venice once, and re-created as a wall stencil because I love it so much. That pregnant mermaid is amazing...they all are. Thanks for this gorgeous post.

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  11. Ohhh, that´s interesting - such a great variety of them! I like the lion. Hugs from Luzia.

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  12. The lion's head is rather commun, I see them here too, but I have never seen a woman as a door knocker! must have been created by a real macho, lol

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  13. Oooooh my, there are some real gems among them!
    I think I like the first one best, I've never seen any like it!

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  14. wow, I find it so interesting that some people like to build with details and subtleties. The objects are no longer mere objects and start to have a special life. Beautiful pictures!
    What I like the most is the last, it make me remember of some god, perhaps Zeus or Poseidon

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  15. If these knockers were able to talk it would be so interesting to hear their stories...

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  16. When I was in Malta, i saw that many door knockers are exactly the one in the 3rd image as shown in this entry - a fish which got a "fork-like" tail... I wondered if it has any special meaning and whether it is related to Maltese legends and traditions....

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  17. Is there anyway possible of buying one of these beautiful knockers and shipping it overseas to Australia ?

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