Mysterious Cards in 16th c England - Help

Teheuti

Here’s a real playing card mystery that I hope others will find of interest as it has possible card/divination associations.

Christopher Marsh, a historian at Queen's University, Belfast, sent photographs of some late 16th century wall paintings in the Cambridgeshire house of a probable fortune-teller. He wants to know whether there is any connection between the pictures and astrology, fortune-telling, cartomancy etc. I was able to see immediately that there is nothing astrological in the images, but the presence of playing cards in such a strange (and very early) tableau was immensely intriguing, especially when added to the following:

Marsh is working on the theory that the house was owned by one William Tassell who was at various times in trouble for 'casting of figures', 'prophesying' (he was also referred to as a conjuror) and for belonging to a mystical religious fellowship called The Family of Love (Familia Caritatis). He died in 1574.

http://www.exlibris.org/nonconform/engdis/familists.html

and from Marsh’s book on the Family of Love:
http://books.google.com/books?id=W9...71#v=onepage&q="William Tassell" 1574&f=false

The pictures are a mixture of original sections, now removed from the walls and framed separately, and modern sketches, made some time shortly before the pictures were taken down or, in some cases, obliterated completely.

In the modern sketch of the original wall decoration (possibly fresco)—Tassett3—there are three repetitions of the 8 of Diamonds (the original seems to depict four 8 of Diamonds in a box shape), plus a 3 of Diamonds and a 5 of Clubs. The positions of everything in the modern sketch seems different than in the original, but it is hard to tell.

Tassell1: original featuring playing cards and female figures.
tassell1.jpg


Tassell2: a close-up of the playing cards from the original.
tassell2.jpg


Tassell3: modern sketch of what is depicted in the Tassell1 picture.
tassell3.jpg


The other pictures are of other wall coverings: possibly a repeat pattern of a Tudor Rose, and the final image that is remarkably like a Marseille-style 2 of Cups, although I’m not sure if the figures are meant to represent dolphins.

Tassell4: one of the original sections, perhaps purely decorative.
tassell4.jpg


Tassell5: modern sketch of decorations (now lost completely, I think)
tassell5.jpg


Tassell6 : modern sketch of wall painting (original now lost) that was over one of the chimneypieces in the house.
tassell6.jpg


Marsh would appreciate any ideas or information we might be able to come up with. I’m cross-posting this to the Tarot History Forum.
 

Le Fanu

Nothing to add I'm afraid, but a very intriguing post. However, two things strike me;

Firstly, how similar those suits look to modern day cards. I thought that 16th Century cards would look at least slightly different. But no, they look exactly like contemporary suit symbols. Neither fatter nor thinner nor more elaborated, no additional patterns. Would those symbols definitely be 16th century? No chance of a later date? For example, (not great examples I know) these 16th Century cards are squatter, with fatter suit symbols. That strikes me.

What is also odd is, why so many eights? There are three of them.

Plus, if he is listed as a conjurer, the cards could - obviously - be tools of that trade.

No way of knowing for sure but a fascinating post. I'll be watching this carefully. Nice to see these mysteries come up and feel like a bit of a detective!
 

Huck

Nothing to add I'm afraid, but a very intriguing post. However, two things strike me;

Firstly, how similar those suits look to modern day cards. I thought that 16th Century cards would look at least slightly different. But no, they look exactly like contemporary suit symbols. Neither fatter nor thinner nor more elaborated, no additional patterns. Would those symbols definitely be 16th century? No chance of a later date? For example, (not great examples I know) these 16th Century cards are squatter, with fatter suit symbols. That strikes me.

What is also odd is, why so many eights? There are three of them.

Plus, if he is listed as a conjurer, the cards could - obviously - be tools of that trade.

No way of knowing for sure but a fascinating post. I'll be watching this carefully. Nice to see these mysteries come up and feel like a bit of a detective!

I think, there is no problem with French suit signs and 16th century. That's not "too early".

I remember dark, that we had discussed a similar picture (I don't think, it's the same, but ???) already in this part of the Forum. An English finding, as far I remember. From Kwaw ???? Also something with diamond cards ???
 

Huck

Here ...

http://tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=90698&highlight=england+diamonds

Kwaw wrote:
Two 15th century English church wall paintings on the theme of 'warning to sabbath breakers' that appear to include cards, the five and six of diamonds respectively:

http://www.paintedchurch.org/breagsab.htm

http://www.paintedchurch.org/hessesab.htm

The site suggests that the five of diamonds was deliberately chosen in reference to the five wounds of christ.

breagsab.jpg


Five of diamonds at the left

hesset1.jpg


A six (or 5 ?) of diamonds in the upper part
 

Huck

I don't know, if it is has meaning ...

... but Hendrik Niclaes, the prophet or Messias or founder of this religious group "family of lovers", had been "accompanied" (in unclear manner, at least to me) by "24 Oldest", "4 Seraphims" and the Nazarener (Jesus ?).

It struggles the mind, that 3 "8's of diamonds" show 24 symbols ... "24 Oldest" ?

But likely that's "too absurd".
If Tassell was attacked ... Hendrik Niclaes was also attacked. His teachings attracted artists in the printing industry ... possibly just cause he gave commissions. There was also trouble between Niclaes and his printers ... likely it became occasionally risky to print for him. As far I got it, also the names of Ortelius and Mercator (prominent card makers) are mentioned in this context. Also, as far I've read (dark memory), Johannes Ladenspelder, producer of one younger Mantegna Tarocchi in Cologne.

Some notes from our research ...
http://koeln-tarot.trionfi.com/02/

Die Gruppe "Haus der Liebe" oder "Domus Charitatis" wurde gegen 1540 von Hendrik Niclaes begründet, in Großbritannien auch bekannt als "Family of Love". In London gab es viele Anhänger der Gruppe, die schnell verketzert wurde und Verfolgungen ausgesetzt war.
Niclaes, der wegen seiner visionären Vorstellungen in der Jugend zeitweise im Gefängnis saß, empfand sich selbst in einer messianischen Rolle (Bischof) und rekruitierte seine Mitglieder von Emden aus über Geschäftskontakte. Christoffel Plantin, ein prominenter Drucker, der die Werke des Niclaes verlegte, gehörte zu seinem Kreis, andere Intellektuelle fühlten sich trotz der relativen Einfachheit der Vorstellungen des Gründers ebenfalls angezogen, unter ihnen viele Künstler. Abraham Ortelius war ein Mitglied, von John Dee (dem bekannten Magier) ist es nicht deutlich, jedenfalls besuchte er Treffen der Gruppe in London (Ortelius, Mercator und John Dee trafen sich während John Dee's Aufenthalt an der Universität Leuwen und der Kontakt zwischen ihnen muss längere Zeit bestanden haben).
Niclaes wurde gegen 1560 gezwungen, Emden zu verlassen und lebte bis zu seinem Tode in Köln (1580). 1573 erhielt sein Ruf einen entscheidenden Schlag, als sich einer seiner Schüler, der um 20 Jahre jüngere Hendrik Janssen von Barrefeldt (auch Henrick Janssen, auch "Hiel, der Prophet")(1520 - 1594), sich selbst als direkte Verbindung zu Gott etablierte und dies von den Anhängern des Niclaes zunehmend akzeptiert wurde. Nach dem Tode der beiden Anführer ließ das Interesse an dieser religiösen Orientierung langsam nach. Die englischen Gruppenmitglieder schlossen sich bis ca. 1680 überwiegend den Quäkern an.

Die Zeit des Niclaes in Köln fällt in die Phase, in der das Kurfürstentum Köln von Personen wie Salentin von Isenburg und Gebhard von Waldburg geprägt wurde, von denen der letztere sich deutlich dem Protestantismus zuwandte und damit den Kölner Krieg (1583-88), auch truchsessischer Krieg genannt, einleitete.

clio.jpg


It's assumed, that Ladenspelder had contact to this group. It's not totally sure, but Niclaes seems to have spend a lot of his late years in Cologne after he was persecuted in Emden.

Cologne, usually often VERY catholic and VERY conservative, had have revolutionary spirit in the period 1560 - 1580 ... the result was the Truchsessische War 1583-88. Cologne and London had close trading connections in this time by the Hanse. I was surprized once to find early Quakers roots here in Cologne.
Generally the time was shaken by the Spanish wars in the Netherlands (not too far from Cologne) ... the siege of Leyden 1574 and its successful defense plays a remarkable role (Eighty Years' War, or Dutch War of Independence, 1568–1648)

Also one has to see, that pacifistic groups like Mennonites, Quakers and this less known "family of lovers" also wrote some part of history.
 

Ross G Caldwell

Thanks very much for sharing this Mary. A very interesting design, but utterly undecipherable as far as I can tell. I haven't a clue what it could mean, or if it is possibly meaningless. Why are the 8 of Diamonds black, and the 3 red?

I agree that, judging by your first picture, there appears to be another 8 of Diamonds, making four of them forming a square.

I also seem to see another card above the 3 of Diamonds, possibly a 3 of Clubs or a black 3 of Diamonds.

Very weird.

The French suit-signs were well established by the end of the 16th century. I can't remember the exact date they were invented, I think by 1500, but they spread rapidly because they were so cheap to make. Only 12 cards needed to be carved - the court cards. The pips were just colored stencils.

The Latin suit systems, by contrast, needed to have designs carved for all of the cards.
 

Huck

http://www.scribd.com/doc/43454030/Godded-With-God-Hendrik-Niclaes-and-His-Family-of-Love
Good researched article to the family of Love. The person William Tassell in not noted.

http://books.google.com/books?id=0ngk8-WPoigC&pg=PA402#v=onepage&q&f=false
Interesting German article about illegal book production in Cologne in the period 1560-80
... it contains the note, that Niclaes Hendrik, founder of the Family of Love, had been himself his own printer with the pseudonym Niclaes Bohmbargen. The printing house was closed short after his death.
Also it is noted, that about 4000 refugees were in the city during the wars in the Netherland ...the natural background for this underground book production.