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[[Image:Sdining roomWinter Pal.jpg|thumb|right|100px|Location of the Arabian Room within the Winter Palace]] |
[[Image:Sdining roomWinter Pal.jpg|thumb|right|100px|Location of the Arabian Room within the Winter Palace]] |
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The '''Arabian Hall''', sometimes known as the Blackamoor Hall or the Arabian Dining Room, is one of the semi-private rooms of the [[Winter Palace]], [[St Petersburg]]. In the [[Tsar]]ist era it was the room from which imperial processions through the state rooms began. |
The '''Arabian Hall''', sometimes known as the Blackamoor Hall or the Arabian Dining Room, is one of the semi-private rooms of the [[Winter Palace]], in [[St. Petersburg]], [[Russia]]. In the [[Tsar]]ist era it was the room from which imperial processions through the state rooms began. The double doors<ref>The doors in the wall on the right in the watercolor, largely hidden by the flanking columns, opened into the enfilade.</ref> were designed to be on a straight axis through the principal state rooms and ultimately the Jordan staircase, forming an [[Enfilade (architecture)|enfilade]]. Thus it was here the [[House of Romanov|Romanov family]] often assembled, in private, before state receptions and occasions. <ref>Maylunas.</ref> The privacy of the room was not compromised by the small private courtyard (''see plan'') from which windows admitted light. |
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Designed following the Winter Palace fire of 1837 by [[Alexander Briullov]], the room is decorated in [[neoclassical]] style fashionable in the early [[19th century]], known as [[Pompei|Pompeian]]. A stuccoed vaulted ceiling is seemingly supported by a [[colonnade]] of [[Doric]] columns. <ref>The State Hermitage Museum</ref> |
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⚫ | The various geographically confused names of the Arabian Hall derive, not from any peculiar contents, but from the four official pseudo-bodyguards of the Tsar who travelled from palace to palace with the Imperial family. They were |
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⚫ | |||
Designed following the Winter Palace fire of 1837 by [[Alexander Briullov]], the room is decorated in the [[neoclassical]] style fashionable in the early 19th century, known as [[Pompei|Pompeian]]. A ceiling with a low segmental [[barrel vault]] with bands of shallow [[coffer]]ing stuccoed with classical motifs is seemingly supported by a [[colonnade]] of engaged fluted [[Doric order|Greek Doric]] columns with enriched [[Ovolo|echinus]] molding and no bases.<ref>The State Hermitage Museum.</ref> A [[Meander_(art)|Greek key]] fret enriches the [[entablature]] that runs without a break round the room. The only furnishings were the dining chairs of Greek klismos type, formally ranged round the walls. When the Imperial family were to dine here, dining tables would be brought in, covered and laid, then removed afterwards.<ref>[[Dining table]]s on massive central pedestals, left in place in the dining room, were an English innovation of the second quarter of the nineteenth century.</ref> |
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⚫ | The various geographically confused names of the Arabian Hall derive, not from any peculiar contents, but from the four official pseudo-bodyguards of the Tsar who travelled from palace to palace with the Imperial family. They were four "massive Negroes" fantastically dressed in scarlet trousers, gold jackets, white turbans and curved shoes. <ref>Massie, p. 129.</ref> Wherever the Tsar was, they guarded the doors between the private and official world. They had no other function other than to open and close doors; their sudden, but silent appearance into a room was the signal that heralded the immediate appearance of the Tsar or Tsaritsa. |
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⚫ | Although the guards were referred to as the [[Ethiopians]] or Blackamoors, from 1896, at least one was an American. Jim Hercules holidayed in the U.S.A. and always returned with jars of [[Guava|guava jelly]] for the Imperial children. <ref>All information concerning the "Ethiopians" is from Massie, p. 129.</ref> |
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== Notes == |
== Notes == |
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{{reflist|2}} |
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<references/> |
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== References == |
== References == |
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| first = Virginia |
| first = Virginia |
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| year = 1971 |
| year = 1971 |
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| title = The Romanovs |
| title = ''The Romanovs'' |
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| publisher = William Collins,Sons & Company Ltd. |
| publisher = William Collins, Sons & Company Ltd. |
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| location = London |
| location = London |
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| id = ISBN 0 00 211724 10 |
| id = ISBN 0 00 211724 10 |
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}} |
}} |
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* Massie, Robert K. ''Nicholas and Alexandra''. Atheneum. New York. 1967. |
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*{{cite book |
*{{cite book |
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| first = Mironenko, Sergei |
| first = Mironenko, Sergei |
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| year = 1996 |
| year = 1996 |
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| title = A Lifelong Passion |
| title = ''A Lifelong Passion'' |
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| publisher = Weidenfeld and Nicolson |
| publisher = Weidenfeld and Nicolson |
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| location = London |
| location = London |
Revision as of 17:43, 10 November 2008
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/Arab_Dining.jpg/300px-Arab_Dining.jpg)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/28/Sdining_roomWinter_Pal.jpg/100px-Sdining_roomWinter_Pal.jpg)
The Arabian Hall, sometimes known as the Blackamoor Hall or the Arabian Dining Room, is one of the semi-private rooms of the Winter Palace, in St. Petersburg, Russia. In the Tsarist era it was the room from which imperial processions through the state rooms began. The double doors[1] were designed to be on a straight axis through the principal state rooms and ultimately the Jordan staircase, forming an enfilade. Thus it was here the Romanov family often assembled, in private, before state receptions and occasions. [2] The privacy of the room was not compromised by the small private courtyard (see plan) from which windows admitted light.
Designed following the Winter Palace fire of 1837 by Alexander Briullov, the room is decorated in the neoclassical style fashionable in the early 19th century, known as Pompeian. A ceiling with a low segmental barrel vault with bands of shallow coffering stuccoed with classical motifs is seemingly supported by a colonnade of engaged fluted Greek Doric columns with enriched echinus molding and no bases.[3] A Greek key fret enriches the entablature that runs without a break round the room. The only furnishings were the dining chairs of Greek klismos type, formally ranged round the walls. When the Imperial family were to dine here, dining tables would be brought in, covered and laid, then removed afterwards.[4]
The various geographically confused names of the Arabian Hall derive, not from any peculiar contents, but from the four official pseudo-bodyguards of the Tsar who travelled from palace to palace with the Imperial family. They were four "massive Negroes" fantastically dressed in scarlet trousers, gold jackets, white turbans and curved shoes. [5] Wherever the Tsar was, they guarded the doors between the private and official world. They had no other function other than to open and close doors; their sudden, but silent appearance into a room was the signal that heralded the immediate appearance of the Tsar or Tsaritsa.
Although the guards were referred to as the Ethiopians or Blackamoors, from 1896, at least one was an American. Jim Hercules holidayed in the U.S.A. and always returned with jars of guava jelly for the Imperial children. [6]
Notes
- ^ The doors in the wall on the right in the watercolor, largely hidden by the flanking columns, opened into the enfilade.
- ^ Maylunas.
- ^ The State Hermitage Museum.
- ^ Dining tables on massive central pedestals, left in place in the dining room, were an English innovation of the second quarter of the nineteenth century.
- ^ Massie, p. 129.
- ^ All information concerning the "Ethiopians" is from Massie, p. 129.
References
- Cowles, Virginia (1971). The Romanovs. London: William Collins, Sons & Company Ltd. ISBN 0 00 211724 10.
- Massie, Robert K. Nicholas and Alexandra. Atheneum. New York. 1967.
- Maylunas, Andrei, Mironenko, Sergei (1996). A Lifelong Passion. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson. ISBN 0 297 81520 2.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
- The State Hermitage Museum retrieved 23 September 2008. Published by The State Hermitage Museum.