Art - Decoration of the Court House

Artist: Nic. Schiøll (1951).

The entrance to Tinghuset is decorated with terracotta reliefs showing historical motifs. The decoration was made by Schiøll and burned by the ceramics artist Jens von der Lippe. Artistic decoration using ceramics was something quite novel in Norway at the time. Originally the idea was to make the wall figurines in the entrance in white marble, but this was rejected due to the expense and lack of suitable stone in Norway. The theme reflects the function of the building and the legal system in Trøndelag in an historical perspective. Two brass plaques inform us about the historical content of the reliefs. In the middle of the entrance stands the medieval “law-speaker” (logmaðr), made of marble. He is flanked by reliefs in ceramics that present the enforcers of the law: King Magnus Lagabøter (Law-mender) (1238–80) and Archbishop Jon Raude who died in 1282, both with coats of arms. The post-reformation period is represented by Judge Jørgen Pedersen Staur, who died in 1589, and Chancellor Ove Bjelke (1611–74). From more modern times, we see Chief District Court Judge Anders Rambech (1767–1836) and, lastly, Judge and Prime Minister Ole Anton Qvam (1834–1904).