The Medieval Housebook

Elven

And finally, what is the character doing peeking around the corner of the building? Is he just there for "atmosphere"? Or is there another part of the visual storytelling happening?

Is the building also bath-house or a changing room or facilities for health - like a gym (Im sure that werent called that though) - a house of Health ;) ? There are swimmers in the 'pool' of water behind the banner ... and a man walking from the water. maybe the banner relates to part of the facility?
 

kwaw

Re: the quack doctor, the term 'charlaton' in the 16th century is related to the 'charretani' of the 15th, fraticceli [little friars], who according to one 15th century trial of two Piemontese fraticceli also called themselves barlotto or brothers of the keg, and worshiped an idol called Bacco [alluded to in the Belgian pattern perhaps?]. According to some historians they were actually Waldensians [i'll find the source, quote and reference the text in the Belgian thread tomorrow when I have time to look / type it up - I think I can remember where I read it].

Kwaw
 

Elven

Could someone clarify: I think the chain the woman holds is on a larger ring at her waist obscured by her hand.

Any thoughts?
 

kwaw

Elven said:
Could someone clarify: I think the chain the woman holds is on a larger ring at her waist obscured by her hand.

Any thoughts?

Looks to me like the chain is attached to the wall of the building, the other end [with a cuff to small it appears to me to collar a neck or wrist of a man or dog] hangs loose from her hand, as if it appears to me she has released a chain barrier [the cuff being attached to a post, or some other form of attachment outside of picture].

Kwaw
 

Elven

There is also a little lone plant which looks as if it has a bud on it right at the bottom of the picture.
 

Elven

kwaw said:
[with a cuff to small it appears to me to collar a neck or wrist of a man or dog] hangs loose from her hand, as if it appears to me she has released a chain barrier [the cuff being attached to a post, or some other form of attachment outside of picture].

Hi Kwaw - the links look smaller though than the ones on the wall - and if the perspective was drawn closer, they would be larger than they have been drawn maybe? There is a loop from the chain attatched to something I think at her waist.

Also, does the child have both arms raised with something in both hands?
 

le pendu

euripides said:
Re Mercury on the World Cards from Bologna - and on printer's marks ...

do you have any scans you could show me? Trying to find them on the Tarot museum

I believe most scholars think that the images from Kaplan I page 128 are of the Bologna Tarot, showing probably Mercury on the World with the winged helmet.

encyclopedia1.jpg
 

kwaw

kwaw said:
Re: the quack doctor, the term 'charlaton' in the 16th century is related to the 'charretani' of the 15th, fraticceli [little friars], who according to one 15th century trial of two Piemontese fraticceli also called themselves barlotto or brothers of the keg, and worshiped an idol called Bacco [alluded to in the Belgian pattern perhaps?]. According to some historians they were actually Waldensians [i'll find the source, quote and reference the text in the Belgian thread tomorrow when I have time to look / type it up - I think I can remember where I read it].

Kwaw

Decided I wasn't ready for bed quite yet so I found it out and typed it up:

http://www.tarotforum.net/showpost.php?p=942012&postcount=17

Kwaw
 

OnePotato

For a closer look...

For those of you who would like a closer look, and some interesting art historical analysis, here are a few must-have books on the Housebook:

Venus and Mars: The World of the Medieval Housebook
by Christoph Graf zu Waldburg Wolfegg, 1998
(Nice repro quality, several in color. Excellent text.)

The Medieval Housebook & The Art of Illustration
by Timothy B. Husband, 1999
(Exhibition catalog. Good text, but all B&W and smaller format repros.)

The Master of the Amsterdam Cabinet, or the Housebook Master, ca 1470-1500
compiled by J.P. Filedt Kok, 1985
(In-depth scholarly study concentrates on all known engravings by the artist, along with the Housebook, drawings, paintings and other works. Mostly B&W. A few in color.)
 

DoctorArcanus

le pendu said:
I'm not sure if you were implying the connection with this part of the image or not Ross (I suspect you were), but I when I looked at it I thought that the figure in the bottom right was probably The Fool.

housebook_fool.jpg


Two clues are the dog, and the exposed feet. I think there are also Tarot images of the Fool with a musical instrument, horns and/or drums I think.. right?

Does the monkey on his back mean anything? Does this indicate an entertainer? Is this the figure that the sign of the tumbler is advertising for?

The Sola Busca Mato is a fool with a musical instrument (horn-pipes).

Mitelli's fool has both musical instrument and dog.

The monkey also is an interesting detail, but I cannot link it to any ancient tarot card...

euripides said:
Re Mercury on the World Cards from Bologna - and on printer's marks ...

do you have any scans you could show me? Trying to find them on the Tarot museum

Found this tarot
A.Viassone" (Torino, Italy)
deck "Tarocco Piemontese"

which shows the figure in the World, a female, with a little upturned moon on her head... making the mercury symbol.... I guess that's what you mean?

Euripides, thank you for your posts that I read with the greatest interest. The World card you found is surprising: this World woman is Artemis / Diana / the Moon. This makes me think of other World cards in which the woman seems to represent Fortune (and Fortune, as recently written by Ross, is associated to the Moon for its continuous change). For instance, Bodet

Going back to Mercury, I actually meant Bologna cards in which a man with winged feet and caduceus is standing on the world. The card posted by Robert is an excellent example. You find another (less ancient) example here.

Marco