Page 172 - The Grotesque Children's Book

SIDEBAR. The eight-sided room. The Tribune is a room in the Uffizi
(Offices) with eight sides, designed with deliberately complex and obscure
cosmological meanings. The mother-of-pearl inlay lining its dome, for instance,
and the blue color of drum refer to Water, the red fabric of the covered walls refer
to Fire, the floor’s green pietra serena stone inlay symbolizes Earth, and a bronze
arrow near the dome, connected to an external weathervane points the direction of
the Wind, symbolizing Air. Besides the four Elements, His Honor can also see
symbols for the Medici family (the family crest with its round balls of silver and
red; the seashell depicting Bianca De Cappello; the heroic accomplishments of the
Grand Duke in the form of Hercules) along with allusions to the sun, moon and
planets whose meaning would undoubtedly be clearer to his Honor than this lowly
court scribe. His Honor can also decipher Christian iconography of flowers,
animals, birds, fish, stones, scepters, jewels, and on and on. At eye level around
the entire room is a shelf made of ebony with drawers and hidden compartments
filled with medals, jewelry, small bronzes and other valuable objects. On the
shelf stand small statues, odd instruments, and countless rings, knives, scabbards,
bracelets, and trinkets. In the very center of the room is an eight-sided cabinet
made of ebony, gold and precious stones, shaped like a temple; almost a
reproduction of the room itself; a tribune within the Tribune, if you will, also
filled with medals, jewels, and hidden, secret drawers. Its doors, decorated by
Giambologna with bas-reliefs in gold, jasper and amethyst, illustrate the
awe-inspiring accomplishments of Duke Francesco, the second Grand Duke of
Tuscany, long may he reign.

Translator’s Note. About Sidebars. You will find throughout this work
certain tangents which were included in the original novel by its first author, and
a few of my own. I have included them here in case you have a penchant for
being thorough, but, quite frankly, between you and me, I do not find all of them
to be as relevant as the original author clearly did. This sidebar turns out to be
fairly important, introducing octagonal imagery, and secret hidden
compartments, so this one was probably well worth your time. I’ll include my
suggestions about relevance as each of the sidebars pops up. Thank you for
listening.

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