(Above) A Pictish throne made by master furniture maker Adrian McCurdy. Courtesy National Museum of Scotland.
The first Pictish throne to be built in more than 1,000 years went on display at the National Museum of Scotland today (November 26).
Its unveiling is part of a three-year partnership between National Museums Scotland and The Glenmorangie Whisky company, intended to promote a greater understanding of Scotland’s early history – in part, by working with contemporary craftspeople to rebuild artefacts based on historic Scottish designs.
The throne goes on display at the Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, from the beginning of December, before being shown at various destinations across Scotland.
Master furniture maker Adrian McCurdy took inspiration from designs found on sculptured stones to create a throne that takes viewers back to a period between 300 and 900AD, an era of Scotland’s history about which relatively little is known. The country was inhabited at this time by the Picts, a confederation of tribes whose identity would eventually be subsumed by that of the Scots.
David Clarke, Keeper of Archaeology at National Museum of Scotland, said that although there are no surviving examples of original Pictish Thrones in Scotland, recreating one had given researchers a good indication of how they were made.
“We’ve learnt so much about the design, manufacture and use of these thrones," he said. "It’s very exciting to see this type of throne brought to life”.
