The narwhal throne
Frederik III had his throne constructed from 1662 to 1671 with inspiration from the Biblical text about the wise and just King Solomon.
Unicorn horn: narwhal tusk
Frederik III was fascinated by the story of the Judgment of King Solomon. In a dispute between two women about who was the mother of a child, King Solomon ordered that the child be cut in half, so that each woman could receive a half. Upon hearing this, one of the women broke down and begged Solomon to let the other woman keep the child, as long as the child was spared. This revealed to King Solomon that she was the true mother of the child.
According to the Bible, Solomon sat on a throne of gold and ivory on a podium with six steps. On each step lay two golden lions – 12 lions in all. With inspiration from this account, Frederik III also wanted a throne made of gold and ivory and guarded by 12 lions. However, the actual throne is not made of gold but does have figures of gilded metal. Instead of ivory, Frederik III chose an even more exclusive material: unicorn horn. This drew great attention around Europe. In reality, Frederik III was well aware that the 'unicorn horns' were in fact narwhal tusks.
