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Encyclopaedia of the North East

K - King's College

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A large printed capital letter K with a painting of King's College, a portrait of a bishop, and a ceremonial mace.

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King's College n 
University in Aberdeen from 1495 to 1860 when it became part of the University of Aberdeen.

Painting. Landscape painting of a large, church like building with towers, spires, long wings and a chapel. Above the main tower is a crown like structure. The building is behind a wall over which are the tops of trees. Groups of people populate the area in front of the wall, many wearing red gowns. The painting is in an ornate gilded frame.

View of King's College (late 17th cent.)

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Portrait of William Elphinstone. Oil painting of a middle aged white man wearing highly decorated and bejewelled bishop's hat and cloak in green and gold. The cloak is decorated with foliage patterns and images of saints. He has his hands in prayer and holds a crozier under one arm. He is next to a window out of which can be seen hills and a river with boats.

Portrait of Bishop William Elphinstone, founder of King's College (late 15th cent.)

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Print. Titled The Sapient Septemviri, the print depicts a row of scholars linking arms while another scholar speaks from a podium. The scholars are mostly dressed in black gowns with square caps, but some have an absurd appearance. One is depicted as a skeleton with a scythe, another wears all tartan and wields a polearm, and another has a large conical hat with an orb and cross on top.

Caricature of the staff of King's College at the time of a proposed merger with Marischal College (1786).

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Mace. A large silver ceremonial mace, almost a metre long, with a crown and cross at the top.

Mace of King's College made by Walter Melville of Aberdeen (1650).

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K - King's College