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→Early Thrones and Cultures
From the very first evidence of the establishment of royal authority we begin to see a throne or idea of a raised seat depicted in royal imagery. Both in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, depictions of thrones are shown soon after those regions developed royal power. The throne was not just a raised seat but also was placed into a special room, the throne room, where royalty began to receive and meet with foreigners and subjects alike. Thrones were already decorated, often made with ebony, cedar, and gilded with gold or even ivory. Thrones also became raised, to show the status of the king. Often a large stone slab or platform was used to raise the seat. For Egypt, this was particularly important because the king (or pharaoh) was also a god and being raised indicated the divine nature of authority.<ref>For more on early monarchs and thrones in Egypt and Mesopotamia, see:Houston, M.G. (2002) <i>Ancient Egyptian, Mesopotamian & Persian costume.</i> Mineola, N.Y, Dover Publications.</ref>
For deities, they also became associated as seated figures who resided in special houses (or temples). Sometimes these deities were represented as statues placed in a niche but often they were also represented as seated figures who sat on a throne of authority. In particular, deities associated with monarchs, such as the sun god, were more typically seated, where they would be shown imparting wisdom on rulers to govern their people. This concept is also in the Bible , where Yahweh is described as seated on a throne.<ref>For more on how early gods were depicted as seated figures, see: James B. Pritchard & Daniel E. Fleming (eds.) (2011) <i>The ancient Near East: an anthology of texts and pictures.</i> Princeton, N.J, Princeton University Press.
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What is telling about thrones is that they were common as soon as regions began to develop the idea of kings and royal authority. Few other pieces of furniture became so common throughout much of the ancient world. In ancient China, chairs were classified and associated with classes of people who could sit on certain chairs. Thrones in China, like many other regions, began to be named, with the latest name used was the Dragon Throne, where the name lasted until the last Qing Dynasty emperor rules in the early 20th century. In India, the ancient name for the throne was the seat of the lion. Similar to China, it was intricately decorated and was only associated with royal authority.<ref>For more on thrones around Asia, see: Stunkel, K.R. (2011)<i> Ideas and art in Asian civilizations: India, China, and Japan.</i> Armonk, N.Y, M.E. Sharpe, Inc.</ref>
Europe's oldest throne room is found at the palace of Knossos (Figure 1), a city in Crete that existed in the 2nd millennium BCE. Similar to the ancient Near East, the idea of a throne room was also meant to not only have the raised chair and platform where the king would receive people but wall decorations of griffins, which also became symbols of protection of royal power in the Mediterranean and stretching to Central Asia, began to be prominently displayed. Such mythical symbols continued into modern eras as symbols of protection, often for the state. At Knossos, the throne also was surrounded by benches, which were possibly used by the king's council. Thus, thrones and the throne room also became began to symbolize a type of court where council would be given to the king. Later, the idea of a parliament retained this idea, where a king would receive council sitting on a raised throne.<ref>For more on Knossos, see: Castleden, R. (1990) <i>The Knossos labyrinth: a new view of the ‘Palace of Minos’ at Knosos.</i> London ; New York, Routledge.
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Thrones were also independently used in the New World. Aztec gods, such as Ehecatl, were shown as seated on thrones. An elaborate throne in Tenochtitlan was found, called the throne of Montezuma(Figure 2), which was used for religious and royal ceremony. The Aztec king likely sat on it to perform his religious duties where he made contact with the earth and sun, acting as the sacred guardian of both these important symbols of religious authority.<ref>For more on Mayan thrones, see: McKillop, H. (2004) <i>The ancient Maya: new perspectives.</i> ABC-Clio’s understanding ancient civilizations. Santa Barbara,Calif., ABC-CLIO, pg. 220</ref><ref>For more on the Aztec thrones, see: Mundy, B.E. (2015) <i>The death of Aztec Tenochtitlan, the life of Mexico City.</i> Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long series in Latin American and Latino art and culture. Austin, University of Texas Press, pg. 216</ref>
[[File:Knossos 07.jpeg|thumbnail|Figure 1. Europe's oldest known throne room is from Knossos in Crete, which is reconstructed here.]]
[[File:Teocalli.jpeg|thumbnail|Figure 2. The so-called throne of Montezuma. ]]
==Later Authority==
