Abstract
The portals created by Benedict Ried's lodge at Prague Castle cca 1500 were inspired by all'antica forms. The forms of the portals, in fact, drew from several European formal traditions.
The portal to the Old Diet Hall is particularly revealing in this regard. The forms of the portal will make sense, if the portal is compared with liturgical furnishings (all'antica tabernacles).
The round pediment and spiral forms were frequent in Italian Quattrocento tabernacles as a designation of sacred places. Similarly, spiral columns served to allude to Solomon's Temple, i.e. the prototype of any Christian church, altar/tabernacle.
The architecturally conceived perspectival tabernacle became prevalent in the Italian Quattrocento. If such a model was taken up to create the Old Diet Hall portal, it might explain why the edicules are set behind each other.
It would not be a misinterpretation, but rather a literal application of what such a model suggested. The twisted pilasters may be explained in a similar way.
The solomonic fluting could be close to Ried's aesthetic feel. The spurs were widespread in 15th century Venetian sculpture.
The appereance of these features in Prague may be explained by following the migrating stonecutters. The Adriatic rim was part of the Venetian Republic.
From Dalmatia, stonecutters were recruited to work for Matthias Corvinus in Hungary. Some of them must have clearly travelled from Buda to Prague.