Antique door handle with dragon heads

by Henk Egbertzen

A door handle, viewed straight on. Bronze, with two dragon heads touching in the centre. Between them, a circle containing a cross. It’s genuine: you can see the grain, the sheen, the small signs of wear.

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The dragons are not merely decorative. In Tibetan and Asian traditions, they are guardians of the threshold. They watch over what passes through the door. Whoever enters must pass them. Whoever leaves must do the same.

- The circle with the cross is the second symbol. A sun wheel, a wheel of good fortune. Infinity, protection, spiritual power. As if the door handle not only opens the door, but also represents something greater.

- The door surrounding it is no ordinary door. It is a composition of brushstrokes, lines and planes. As if someone had painted the door and then fitted the handle onto it. As if the image itself were a threshold between the real and the created.

- The colours are warm: bronze, reddish-brown, grey, black. No stark contrasts, no cool tones. Everything exudes the same atmosphere, as if the artwork itself has aged. - This piece would look good in a hall, an office or a classic living room. For those who appreciate detail. For those who want something that reveals itself differently at a second glance.