2018 participants
Daniel Cockling
Thrones have long been a symbol of power and authority, used by both secular and religious leaders to project their high status on those in lower social classes since at least the Roman period. The purpose of this research was to determine how thrones have developed into the form recognised today; where they originated and how they continue to be used.
This project involved creating 20 case studies from the past 2000 years, each representative of types of throne used in each period. As rulers from popes and kings to bishops and lords used thrones, they were an object that saw widespread use throughout Europe, but little has been cohesively been written on them. I mainly conducted desk-based research on the historical context to their use, but I also visited a number of thrones that still exist - both in use and as museum objects.
Funding source: Newcastle University
Project Supervisor: Dr Mark Jackson