TAA i.3.21.1

THE WOODEN SUPPORT FOR THE PALL – NO. 208.

          The support for the pall, made sufficiently large to stand over

and cover the third shrine, is a wooden structure of gable shape,

composed of nine parts framed together:- namely, two upright frame-

work supports at each ends<,> and five horizontal cross-beams.

          The construction of the framework of the end supports is, to

say the least, curious. In many ways it was unstable and in-

efficient. No boubt^sic it was made in two halves to enable the

sections to pass into the tomb, but why it was bolted with ebony

bolts shot in copper staples, and secured with cord tied to spec-

ial copper staples, after the manner of the folding doors of the 

shrines, when the parts could not possibly open or close after 

they were erected, is inconceivable. However, the back framing

although bolted and tied in similar manner, was also tongued and

mortised together.

          Compared to the shrines its joinery is very poor; the woodwork

is also much warped and twisted; in fact, its workmanship would ap-

pear to be that of an unskilled carpenter rather than that of a 

skilled joiner.

          The end framework is simply mortised and tenoned together, and

the joints of the principle members strengthened with corner angle

pieces. The four principle uprights or corner posts of the frame-

work are stub tenoned to wooden pedsetal^sic-like feet – i.e. a tenon

is cut on the foot of the post which fits into a sinking in the

pedestal. This joggle joint was strengthened by an angle piece<s>

fixed to the pedestal and on the outer and inner faces of the post.

The five horizontal cross-beams were attached to the supporting

framework at both ends by means of tapering right-angle pieces tenoned

to their extremities. These right-angle end pieces fitted into

s/<c>opper staples fixed to the inner faces of the upright members of

the end framing.

          The whole of the structure is coated with gesso, which was var-

nished with a black re<s>inous material; the inner and outer surfaces

of the framework gilded and incised with a geometric pattern; the

upper surfaces of the cross-beams gilded, and their rounded under

surface gilded at intervals upon the black resin, giving the appear-

ance of chequer-work.

          The members and Sealings[?] bear ‘guide’ marks to show

how they fitted together, but no cardinal points[?], [?] in this particular

case being unnecessary.