Time is Money - Visconti Hermit
Rosanne
Now we can start.
I thought this subject could have a thread of it's own and I hereby dedicate it to Debra- who has helped me in my fascination of this card we call the Hermit.
One of the things that does fascinate me about Tarot is working out what the artist was trying to portray on the card. This for me is usually by the investigation of the symbols within the work.
The Visconti cards although beautiful and precious are somewhat plain in adornment really and lack what I have come to expect from later cards, in the manner of symbols.
There are some of course that we recognise- the jugs on Temperance, The decorated apple on the Star's waist cord denoting Diana, the devices of the Visconti and the Sforza families to name but a few.
The Hermit card, we have come to accept as a Hermit shows the Hour Glass and is commonly accepted as Old Man Time or in other decks as an actual Hermit. When I looked at it did not speak to me of Old Man Time. This is not Misere' as was normally shown - a pauper old, lame and decrepit. This man appears wealthy if not a little Eastern in cast.
Who could he be?
Back to post one and my attachment of an enlargement of the robe.
On this post an enlargement of the Hat top
If you look you will see a stem at the top ending with a small ball or bobble.
This was derived from the much earlier Jewish hat- where the stem was upright with a ball on top. Over the years the stem drooped, became a sort of adornment, often worn with pride by the Jewish population, when at first it was a discrimination device. This stem and bobble was not worn by Christians.
Now look at the first attachment. It is an enlargement of the front of the Hermit's robe. I hope you can see what I have been trying to prove for sometime. Three blue balls/ beads or pomegranates dyed blue. The same blue as his robe. Pomegranates were used for dying silk and wool blue, and it was a very expensive process as was the Tyrian blue of the seashell snails from what is now Lebanon. The wearing of these three blue pomegranates or blue beads was the precursor of the three Pawnbroker balls we have come to see on a pawnbroker's shop window. Sometimes the Pawnbroker would wear three gold coins, but that was not wise in those times. In fact you can find this was called the Jewish shekels. This came from a much earlier history that lead to the 3 balls of the pawnbrokers symbol.
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/FirstRevolt.html
so far so good......even though the photo's I have infront of me are clearer- because I cannot attach enough resolution to a post bah!
~Rosanne
I thought this subject could have a thread of it's own and I hereby dedicate it to Debra- who has helped me in my fascination of this card we call the Hermit.
One of the things that does fascinate me about Tarot is working out what the artist was trying to portray on the card. This for me is usually by the investigation of the symbols within the work.
The Visconti cards although beautiful and precious are somewhat plain in adornment really and lack what I have come to expect from later cards, in the manner of symbols.
There are some of course that we recognise- the jugs on Temperance, The decorated apple on the Star's waist cord denoting Diana, the devices of the Visconti and the Sforza families to name but a few.
The Hermit card, we have come to accept as a Hermit shows the Hour Glass and is commonly accepted as Old Man Time or in other decks as an actual Hermit. When I looked at it did not speak to me of Old Man Time. This is not Misere' as was normally shown - a pauper old, lame and decrepit. This man appears wealthy if not a little Eastern in cast.
Who could he be?
Back to post one and my attachment of an enlargement of the robe.
On this post an enlargement of the Hat top
If you look you will see a stem at the top ending with a small ball or bobble.
This was derived from the much earlier Jewish hat- where the stem was upright with a ball on top. Over the years the stem drooped, became a sort of adornment, often worn with pride by the Jewish population, when at first it was a discrimination device. This stem and bobble was not worn by Christians.
Now look at the first attachment. It is an enlargement of the front of the Hermit's robe. I hope you can see what I have been trying to prove for sometime. Three blue balls/ beads or pomegranates dyed blue. The same blue as his robe. Pomegranates were used for dying silk and wool blue, and it was a very expensive process as was the Tyrian blue of the seashell snails from what is now Lebanon. The wearing of these three blue pomegranates or blue beads was the precursor of the three Pawnbroker balls we have come to see on a pawnbroker's shop window. Sometimes the Pawnbroker would wear three gold coins, but that was not wise in those times. In fact you can find this was called the Jewish shekels. This came from a much earlier history that lead to the 3 balls of the pawnbrokers symbol.
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/FirstRevolt.html
so far so good......even though the photo's I have infront of me are clearer- because I cannot attach enough resolution to a post bah!
~Rosanne
Attachments
Rosanne
I have scanned the whole card.
Now why would this man holding a hourglass or sand clock be noticeably Jewish and what does that mean?
Well Sforza on several occasions had to use the services of a Sephardic (Eastern Jew) Jew to raise money. This Pawnbroker/moneylender was from Ancona in the Marche- on the coast below Venice. Twice when he was not paid by Visconti and needed to pay his men, once when he had to raise money for a wedding to Bianca that did not happen in Fermo. It nearly bankrupted Francesco Sforza, because the villages had pledged money for the celebrations, but the wedding was canceled by Fillipo Visconti- they did not then pay. A further time was noted when the Pope of the day was slow in paying.
This moneylender was very important to Sforza and most likely they had a friendship. In fact without him, he may never have been able to afford Milan, or his marriage.
There is a whole separate history as to why one needed the Jewish moneylender and I can if required post about that.
So what does it mean that this man is a Jew- not a Hermit? Does it mean that later cards that depict a Hermit are essentially wrong; or does it mean that the Visconti had adapted an already existing pattern to display family history within the celebratory deck?
Your thoughts would be appreciated.
~Rosanne
Now why would this man holding a hourglass or sand clock be noticeably Jewish and what does that mean?
Well Sforza on several occasions had to use the services of a Sephardic (Eastern Jew) Jew to raise money. This Pawnbroker/moneylender was from Ancona in the Marche- on the coast below Venice. Twice when he was not paid by Visconti and needed to pay his men, once when he had to raise money for a wedding to Bianca that did not happen in Fermo. It nearly bankrupted Francesco Sforza, because the villages had pledged money for the celebrations, but the wedding was canceled by Fillipo Visconti- they did not then pay. A further time was noted when the Pope of the day was slow in paying.
This moneylender was very important to Sforza and most likely they had a friendship. In fact without him, he may never have been able to afford Milan, or his marriage.
There is a whole separate history as to why one needed the Jewish moneylender and I can if required post about that.
So what does it mean that this man is a Jew- not a Hermit? Does it mean that later cards that depict a Hermit are essentially wrong; or does it mean that the Visconti had adapted an already existing pattern to display family history within the celebratory deck?
Your thoughts would be appreciated.
~Rosanne
Attachments
moderndayruth
Very interesting thread, Rosanne! While i don't know the answer, it does seem to me that RWS Hermit holds the Star of David in his lantern. So, what you presume of Visconti's Hermit might be not as much of a stretch as it might seem at first...Rosanne said:
Rosanne
Hi moderndayruth!
Yes I reckon that is a SoD in the RWS Hermit. Quite logical really given the Kabalah associations- but did a Hermit come erroneously through to 1910?
I have been told that in a lecture by O'Neill he stated the Visconti Hermit is an alchemist in his view. How would one come to that conclusion? I know there is an ancient dye factory in Acona and that the Jewish population there became very wealthy from silk and wool dye production. In fact so wealthy the Pope had his eye on the area, and did uplift the Tedeschi Jew fortunes.
It was not considered alchemy to dye, or was it?
~Rosanne
Yes I reckon that is a SoD in the RWS Hermit. Quite logical really given the Kabalah associations- but did a Hermit come erroneously through to 1910?
I have been told that in a lecture by O'Neill he stated the Visconti Hermit is an alchemist in his view. How would one come to that conclusion? I know there is an ancient dye factory in Acona and that the Jewish population there became very wealthy from silk and wool dye production. In fact so wealthy the Pope had his eye on the area, and did uplift the Tedeschi Jew fortunes.
It was not considered alchemy to dye, or was it?
~Rosanne
Debra
I am flabbergasted. Your persistence and care in following through on this is so admirable, Rosanne.
I hope some of the other historians will weigh in.
How did the cards go from showing the Rich People's Family Stories to the Marseille-style playing cards with their...Hermit, I think?
eta: about the scan.
Cerulean gave me a large, very good quality photocopy of the Hermit card. It came from a US Games tarot calendar (2002, I think; I've forgotten).
It's this photocopy that I sent to Rosanne.
Cerulean and I looked at it together and we agreed--it does look as if there is something--at least something lumpy--"under" his blue gown. That it might be half-hidden by being painted in the same color is an interesting puzzle.
Was it originally a different color, and the color faded differently? Was it overpainted, maybe, later? Or was it intended as a disguise?
I think...someone needs to get good information about the look of this card from the curator of where ever it is being held. Do we know where that is?
I hope some of the other historians will weigh in.
How did the cards go from showing the Rich People's Family Stories to the Marseille-style playing cards with their...Hermit, I think?
eta: about the scan.
Cerulean gave me a large, very good quality photocopy of the Hermit card. It came from a US Games tarot calendar (2002, I think; I've forgotten).
It's this photocopy that I sent to Rosanne.
Cerulean and I looked at it together and we agreed--it does look as if there is something--at least something lumpy--"under" his blue gown. That it might be half-hidden by being painted in the same color is an interesting puzzle.
Was it originally a different color, and the color faded differently? Was it overpainted, maybe, later? Or was it intended as a disguise?
I think...someone needs to get good information about the look of this card from the curator of where ever it is being held. Do we know where that is?
Rosanne
Oh Debra that concerns me also. Maybe as I suggested there was an existing deck that was adapted and we no longer have examples or this was an assumption by card makers that the figure was a Hermit. These hand painted cards were only seen by the family I guess so the first option seems more likely ( a pre-existing example in woodcut style or engraving).
It is interesting that it was Jewish moneylenders that financed the printing press. Sometimes History shows us some remarkable facts. It makes me smile.
Those little printed tracts of the Bible that were printed for the masses via the printing press, came about because of Jewish financial ability to fund such endeavors. The financial ability came about because the Christians were not allowed to finance Christians because of Usury Laws- but the Jews were allowed to and in fact without this source of pledges from the Jewish community- we might not have Tarot. I call that ironic.
~Rosanne
It is interesting that it was Jewish moneylenders that financed the printing press. Sometimes History shows us some remarkable facts. It makes me smile.
Those little printed tracts of the Bible that were printed for the masses via the printing press, came about because of Jewish financial ability to fund such endeavors. The financial ability came about because the Christians were not allowed to finance Christians because of Usury Laws- but the Jews were allowed to and in fact without this source of pledges from the Jewish community- we might not have Tarot. I call that ironic.
~Rosanne
Rosanne
These cards are held at the Cary Yale University- Nicki saw a few once.Debra said:
I had the photographs taken from both your copy and the original photo reproduction of the US Games version. It is very clear in the high resolution photos of the area. Unfortunately I cannot scan and post here with that same resolution. The cord that holds the three pomegranates is a wide V and there are two places where a cloth clip holds them in place. They are exactly the same colour as the robe- which is as it should be. I had thought they might be buttons- but they are not. There is no way I will ever believe that this is some knots/buttons/patches now. This was indeed a Jew. There are other slight clues- a ruby stone on his ankle ,a button on his robe on his left shoulder that has remains of gold paint. This button has no other function and can be seen quite clearly on the photo card from US Games.
I really am puzzled about this progression from this image to what is on the TdM type cards with the Lantern. It is believed by Kaplan that the Latern was a mistake from the hourglass by woodcarvers.
We will see.....
~Rosanne
Bernice
Ooh! This is echos of the (possible) Le Bateleur!
Le bateleur... = Time to pay up
Hermit.......... = Do you want a loan? (Hourglass to indicate time-terms?)
Considering the available documentation for researching the images of this deck, I'm surprised that no one has noticed these elements before. Will be watching this thread. It's exciting!
Bee
eta: As a probable friend (&/or business associate) of Sforza, I wonder if there'a a portrait/painting of this Sephardic moneylender anywhere?
Le bateleur... = Time to pay up
Hermit.......... = Do you want a loan? (Hourglass to indicate time-terms?)
Considering the available documentation for researching the images of this deck, I'm surprised that no one has noticed these elements before. Will be watching this thread. It's exciting!
Bee
eta: As a probable friend (&/or business associate) of Sforza, I wonder if there'a a portrait/painting of this Sephardic moneylender anywhere?
Rosanne
