DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1118#0576
Upper
room con
Windinj
Stair-
case,
922 UPPER SYSTEM AND 'LOGGIA' ABOVE THRONE
from the Central Court and specially devoted to ceremonial usao-e by ti
Priest-king, thus formed a separate enclosed area.
At the same time, by means of the winding staircase at the North-Ea t
tun ^v/ii- 1 • t rr ' 1 i J—'^oL
cted by corner of the Ante-room, this lower official enclave was brought into direct
connexion with an upper-floor system extending West to the North End of
the ' Upper Long Corridor ' ; and this itself supplied a link with the whole
Piano nobile region, including ultimately the Palace entrances to the South
West, and North-West. (See Revised Plan at end of Volume.) On this
level, too, the entrance passage that opened at the foot of the staircase and
skirted the area of the Early Keep conveniently led to what has been
above characterized as the ' Pilgrims Entrance ' by the old ' Initiatory Area'. '
This flight of stairs, constructed as we have seen within the rounded
angle of an important insula of the Early Palace, gave access in the first
instance to a roof terrace over the Ante-room, which does not seem to have
had any other structure above it. Thence, however, it would have only been
a few steps to an entrance, which must be here postulated, to the room
immediately above that of the Throne. It is natural to suppose that the
balustrade would in this case have run round three sides of the light-
well above the ' Lustral Basin ', so that there was an interspace between
its shaft and the walls East and West of it. In the plan of restoration
executed by Mr. Piet de Jong, of which a photographic view is given in
Fig. 897, a 'lantern' has been constructed immediately over the light-
well and the Lustral Basin below, reproducing the probable method by
which they were originally lit. By this means, even when the opening on
the Ante-room side was closed, a'dim religious light' would have been
diffused through the ' Room of the Throne ' itself.
The upper chamber—so easily accessible—from that of the 1 hrone,
thus formed a kind of 'loggia', overlooking the ' Lustral Basin ' in the same
taco7 °f wav' but at a Wgher Ieveh It was conveniently placed to act as a kind of
copies. ' withdrawing room ' for the Papa Re himself. Not only would it have
served as a place of rest and refreshment, but it was better adapted than
the 'Room of the Throne' itself for overlooking ritual functions in the sunken
area below.
The numerous relics—obviously heirlooms from M. M. Ill—which,
as is shown below, were precipitated into the Lustral Basin from die
room above that of the Throne, sufficiently indicate that chests containing
valuables were here stored, some of the highest artistic merit, such as the
miniature painting of the charging bull on the back of a crystal plaque. :
It has been thought not inappropriate to arrange on the walls of tn
' Loggia'
above
' Room of
the
Throne'.
Lantern
above
Lustral
Basin
restored
Upper
room
used for
room con
Windinj
Stair-
case,
922 UPPER SYSTEM AND 'LOGGIA' ABOVE THRONE
from the Central Court and specially devoted to ceremonial usao-e by ti
Priest-king, thus formed a separate enclosed area.
At the same time, by means of the winding staircase at the North-Ea t
tun ^v/ii- 1 • t rr ' 1 i J—'^oL
cted by corner of the Ante-room, this lower official enclave was brought into direct
connexion with an upper-floor system extending West to the North End of
the ' Upper Long Corridor ' ; and this itself supplied a link with the whole
Piano nobile region, including ultimately the Palace entrances to the South
West, and North-West. (See Revised Plan at end of Volume.) On this
level, too, the entrance passage that opened at the foot of the staircase and
skirted the area of the Early Keep conveniently led to what has been
above characterized as the ' Pilgrims Entrance ' by the old ' Initiatory Area'. '
This flight of stairs, constructed as we have seen within the rounded
angle of an important insula of the Early Palace, gave access in the first
instance to a roof terrace over the Ante-room, which does not seem to have
had any other structure above it. Thence, however, it would have only been
a few steps to an entrance, which must be here postulated, to the room
immediately above that of the Throne. It is natural to suppose that the
balustrade would in this case have run round three sides of the light-
well above the ' Lustral Basin ', so that there was an interspace between
its shaft and the walls East and West of it. In the plan of restoration
executed by Mr. Piet de Jong, of which a photographic view is given in
Fig. 897, a 'lantern' has been constructed immediately over the light-
well and the Lustral Basin below, reproducing the probable method by
which they were originally lit. By this means, even when the opening on
the Ante-room side was closed, a'dim religious light' would have been
diffused through the ' Room of the Throne ' itself.
The upper chamber—so easily accessible—from that of the 1 hrone,
thus formed a kind of 'loggia', overlooking the ' Lustral Basin ' in the same
taco7 °f wav' but at a Wgher Ieveh It was conveniently placed to act as a kind of
copies. ' withdrawing room ' for the Papa Re himself. Not only would it have
served as a place of rest and refreshment, but it was better adapted than
the 'Room of the Throne' itself for overlooking ritual functions in the sunken
area below.
The numerous relics—obviously heirlooms from M. M. Ill—which,
as is shown below, were precipitated into the Lustral Basin from die
room above that of the Throne, sufficiently indicate that chests containing
valuables were here stored, some of the highest artistic merit, such as the
miniature painting of the charging bull on the back of a crystal plaque. :
It has been thought not inappropriate to arrange on the walls of tn
' Loggia'
above
' Room of
the
Throne'.
Lantern
above
Lustral
Basin
restored
Upper
room
used for