Zomudgari (metalwork craftsmanship) is considered one of the prominent arts in the history of Iranian metalworking, with metal fittings installed on old doors and windows being products of past zomudgar artisans. The city of Quchan exhibits a significant variety in the metal fittings attached to wooden doors. Given the quality of these works and the limited availability of resources, this study aims to classify the metal fittings of historical building doors. It seeks to answer the question: What types of metal fittings are found on the wooden doors of Quchan, and what messages do their motifs convey? The research is descriptive-analytical and applied, with data collected through documentary and, in particular, field studies. Thirty-five knockers from historical buildings in Quchan and targeted villages, including the old textures of Imamqoli, Bish Aqaj, Durbadam, Shahr-e Kohneh, and Yadak, were identified. Among the buildings, 32 doors belonged to private residences, three to mosques, two to the Imamzadeh Sultan Ibrahim shrine, one to the Quchan Anthropology Museum, and two to private collections in Quchan that included knockers.
A review of the research findings indicates that doors in different settings, such as Imamzadeh shrines, due to their religious significance and function, feature larger, more robust, and more intricately decorated fittings compared to residential doors. Mosques, located in the central city neighborhoods, also have more numerous and valuable fittings. Some doors are wider and taller than others, requiring various types of aesthetically pleasing steel fittings to enhance their strength, while residential doors are generally smaller. In most cases, knockers were installed on residential buildings to alert occupants of visitors, but in public places, knockers are typically ring-shaped and used for securing doors. Differences between residential and public building doors include door dimensions, decorations, and the quality of fittings. The variety in the overall form and motifs of knockers, sub-knocker platelets, studs, and other fittings reflects the ingenuity and expertise of the artisans in their craft.
Men’s knockers, in terms of shape, are hammer-like or rectangular prisms, with greater volume, diameter, and weight compared to women’s knockers, producing a deeper sound and typically installed on the right door leaf. Straight and intersecting parallel lines were observed on the surface of these knockers. Knocker forms can be divided into several general categories: the first includes simple knockers with minimal decoration and no relief or indentation, subdivided into those with a round or cubic anvil. The second group consists of simple hammer-shaped knockers with platelets. The third group features a simplified bird form, with partridges and pigeons found in all mountainous valleys, particularly in the northern mountains. Teals are found in the valleys of Zubaran, Yadak, and Babakamar, and Indian partridges are found in the mountains of Aqkamar and Asalmeh Bajgiran. The fourth category includes knockers with minimal, simple decoration and figurative forms. Finally, knockers shaped like reptiles, such as dragons, exhibit considerable variety.
Women’s knockers are forged iron pieces, lighter than men’s knockers, typically featuring two protrusions and greater visual beauty. These produce a higher-pitched sound and are installed on the left door leaf. Women’s knocker forms can be categorized as heart-shaped, dragon-like, teardrop-shaped, ring-shaped, or with a central protrusion. The first group consists of simple ring-shaped knockers without specific decoration. The second group is teardrop-shaped, with a more elongated form compared to ring-shaped knockers. The third group includes cypress or almond-shaped cypress knockers. One reason for the inspiration behind these knockers is the presence of Quchan’s forests, which include the main species of juniper (mountain cypress).
The dragon-shaped knockers, which are rare and fewer in number, feature decorations such as dragon-like heads on both sides. The final knocker type, known as “dast-e delbar” (lover’s hand), became common among Shiites in many countries after the advent of Islam.
The variety in platelets is also notable, typically appearing as circular, oval, cypress-shaped, simple, or perforated. Crown platelets exhibit diverse shapes and decorative crenellations on their outer edges, including semicircular crenellations, Abbasid flower motifs, or axe-like designs. The platelet surface provides the best canvas for artistic expression and decorative techniques such as engraving, latticework, and relief work. Their decorations often include parallel or intersecting lines, dotting, and, in rare cases, motifs such as Abbasid tulips, clover flowers, four-petal flowers, and animal or bird motifs. Among the forms observed in women’s knockers and their sub-platelets are cypress trees, depicted in two styles: elongated cypress and almond-shaped cypress. Some sources describe the cypress as a symbol of Mithra, the deity of kindness. The cypress, with its head reaching the sky and its roots bound to the earth, acts as a mediator, connecting the earth and the sky. Due to its long lifespan and evergreen nature, it is considered the “tree of life” among many cultures. The use of this motif and decorative form in the architecture-related decorations of the studied villages is closely tied to their natural surroundings. For example, a cypress tree in Bish Aqaj village holds special sanctity, with people tying threads to it as a form of supplication.
Studs are identifiable in six types: regular polyhedral studs, plain and bordered hemispheres, solar studs with considerable variety, platelet-to-door connectors, and almond-shaped studs.
The study examines the remnants of Zomudgari art applied to the wooden doors of Quchan and its villages. The presence of motifs such as the cross, swastika, cypress tree, sun, and arabesque and animal motifs, like the dragon, in these works reflects the beliefs and inspirations drawn from the local culture and environment, conveying concepts such as health, immortality, prosperity, happiness, and the fulfillment of wishes. The dragon motif was used to ward off evil, while the horseshoe symbolized wishes for good fortune and happiness.