Plan du Lit de Justice (Plan of the Bed of Justice)

Architectural floor plan of the "lit de justice," a formal session of parliament held at the royal palace under the supervision of the king. Plan contained within a decorative scrolling frame with festoons, the coat of arms of France at top--three fleurs de lys in an escutcheon surmounted by a crown. Below hang two balancing scales. Floor plan at center, the king's place marked in the upper left corner. Letters and numbers printed in the plate correspond to a key below framed in an elaborate cartouche explaining where and how each attending group would be positioned during the session.

Credit: Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council