The Antiquities of Orissa v1.c10.255.2

v1.c10.255.2

The name of the throne, *Siṁhāsana*, is supposed to have been derived from the images of lions (*Siṁha*), which originally formed its supports, but the secondary meaning of a state-chair or throne, soon set aside the derivative meaning of a "lion seat", and such solecistic words as *Padma-siṁhāsana*, "lotus-lion-seat", *Gaja-siṁhāsana*, "elephant-lion-seat", like the Yankee "neck-handkerchief", got into currency from very early times. The objects ordinarily selected for the decoration of the legs were images of lotuses, conch shells, elephants, geese, lions, pitchers, deer, and horses. The thrones were named differently according to the forms in which the legs were carved. Thus a throne made of *gambhār* wood with mountings of gold and rubies, having the sides festooned with carvings of lotus flowers, and the feet shaped like lotus buds, was named the "lotus throne". It had a lining of scarlet cloth, and for supports of the frame-work eight to twelve human figures, each twelve fingers long. A throne made of the above named wood with silver and crystal mountings, white lining, and carvings of shells on the frame and the feet, was called the "conch-shell throne", *Śaṅkha siṁhāsana*. It had twenty-seven figured supports. A throne made of jack-wood, with gold, amethyst, coral and *lapis lazuli* mountings, scarlet cloth-lining, and carvings of lines of elephants on the frame, and of elephant heads at the feet, was called an "elephant throne".