Knock and smile
(Door knocker in the Xixi Wetland Park: Hangzhou, China)
I find Chinese animal sculptures and decoration quite endearing because of their placid and toothy grins. Wherever I have found sculptural animals in a traditional style, I have found little square teeth in a long, rounded row forming an almost comic expression on their faces. My favourite so far was a turtle carved from rock in the Panmen Gate gardens in Suzhou; he had such a hearty grin overflowing with peg-like teeth that I couldn’t help reciprocating. It is interesting to note that the eyes of the animals tend to reflect that of the Chinese, being slanted slightly upward and pinched slightly at each end.
The New Year Chinese dragons also have the same toothy, grinning visage, though the eyes tend to be less oval and more protruding and goggly. I find the expressions of Chinese animals more like caricatures than any other traditional art forms. This door-knocker made me smile, even though he is just exposing his teeth. His wide nose, open expression and surprised eyes made him an instant friend.
