Doorknocker in the Form of a Lion (1400s): Art, History and Details

Doorknocker in the Form of a Lion (1400s) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

Doorknockers such as this one were popular accessories for the homes of the wealthy during the Middle Ages. They are found in many different forms. The lion, symbolizing nobility, fortitude, and strength was highly favored.

Object facts

• Title: Doorknocker in the Form of a Lion
• Date: 1400s
• Culture: Italy(?)
• Type: Metalwork
• Technique: wrought iron
• Dimensions: Overall: 15.3 x 4 cm (6 x 1 9/16 in.)
• Collection: MED - Gothic
• Department: Medieval Art
• Accession number: 1970.20

Collection credit

Gift of the John B. Putnam Foundation

Further reading listed by the museum

• “Twelve Additions to the Medieval Treasury.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 59, no. 4 (April 1972): 87–111.

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.