Knockers & Knobs

In our Cuenca blog (2011), we posted some of the beautiful pictures of balconies and doors that are seen as you walk along the streets of Cuenca.  Neither Arequipa nor Miraflores (in Lima) have balconies; you have to go to Cusco to see the really beautiful ones in Peru.  And the doors, while nice, don't seem to have quite the stature of the ones in Ecuador.  

But the door knob and knockers are fabulous, both in variety and style.  So this, our final blog posting for our trip to Peru, will show you some of the great door knobs and door knockers, mainly from Arequipa, but a few from other places too. 

Enjoy --

Firstly, we have a grouping of humble and old door knobs and knockers:

What are those things that look like nipples?  They appear on many of the thick, wooden doors, and Harold discovered that they actually are covers for bolts and more commonly spikes (huge nails that are bent on the far side when they come through the wood) that connect the wooden sheets that make up the several layers of the door. 

Secondly, we have a brief "grouping" of one photo of a new and humble knob (face it, these new ones are boring).

Thirdly, we have some fancy, old, creative knobs and knockers.

It seems odd to knock on a door with a flower,
but I guess if it's a bronze flower, it will work.  Notice that the "nipples" here are slightly different than the ones up above.  

This knocker must have a sore chin.

an especially creative knocker -- was this owner a fisherperson? 

How about a soldier for a knocker?

I'm not sure about this one -- but I guess it would work.

The female touch is a good one, I guess, and these "nipples"
are creative and scary looking. 

Lastly, we have some fancy, fancy, fancy large knobs and knockers.    

Okay, so this one isn't that fancy, but it was unique because
the knocker was placed on a huge round brass piece.

Many of the knockers had ferocious faces, some people, some animals. 
Maybe they were trying to scare away the evil spirits --
or perhaps people with cameras.

Not sure why the mouth is open.  Maybe he is roaring at the person attempting to get in.

Looking at this knocker gives me a sore jaw.

Some of these really fancy knockers were way up high on huge wooden doors.  Harold and Julie argued about why they were so high.  Harold thought perhaps they were placed high so that men on horseback didn't have to bend over to knock on the door.  Julie thinks they were too high for that.  Maybe they aren't even knockers (they sure look like it though); maybe they are just meant to scare away the spirits or to ask for heavenly protection for those that dwell within. 

These angels would perhaps provide heavenly protection, but if I were forced into a position like they are in, we wouldn't feel so kindly toward the owner. 

This one seems to be suggesting that food is within -- at least some corn.

This one would fit in the "scary" category- at least the top part.

Rarely do you see a female on the knockers (outside of the hands for the small knockers), but this one clearly portrays a female.  an angel? 

 We hope you have enoyed this brief tour of the knobs and knockers of Peru.  We also hope you have enjoyed our entire blog.  See you next year -- somewhere.