Tarot de Paris (17th Century)

[Le Fanu]

And what on earth is that at his left shoulder/chest? I've sharpened that area and enlarged it, could be a cat perched there? (Looks a bit fluffy...).

Bee

Exactly what I was pondering yesterday. it looks like a black animal perched there (mink stole?)... You can see claws...and is that a snout?

 

[Le Fanu]

Justice with two faces... must be related to janus. there must be some connection between the figure of Justice and Janus. But interesting that it is male and female.

I wonder whether it is more to do with Justice as "all seeing".... the law will find you and is omnipotent, omnipresent...

 

[gregory]

I think I SAW something about Justice and Janus in a tarot book I was reading.

I wish I had a memory.... Back when I have tried to find it some....

 

[Moonbow]

I wonder whether it is more to do with Justice as "all seeing".... the law will find you and is omnipotent, omnipresent...

That's also what I was thinking Le Fanu. I have no idea if that is correct though, and its curious that one of the faces is a bearded man perhaps representing maturity, and opposite to that, the young female. So we have an opposite of sex and possibly age in these two faces. Perhaps it represents Justice as encompassing everything and therefore not prejudiced.

 

[Le Fanu]

I think I SAW something about Justice and Janus in a tarot book I was reading.

THINK! THINK! REMEMBER! That must be the key...
And yes, Moonbow, opposites in age, sex, direction... and Justice as 360 degrees!


ETA; Oh and another think I wanted to add about the Pope's chair. I was looking up close at the deck the day before yesterday and I have to say I think (and I think this has been discussed before) that the Pope isn't sitting on a throne.

(check out Pope scan in the above link I posted). I think he is descending a staircase. That odd curlicue effect, top left hand corner and the way it sweeps down. I think it is a staircase. And only one foot is visible. He is in movement, see. Reminds me of Duchamp's Nude Descending a Staircase. The same movement. And the way his head is "naively" turned, as if looking from side to side.

There is a world of difference between having a pagan beast (or sphynx, if that's what it is) on one's throne and having it at the bottom of a staircase in the palace...

 

[gregory]

It DID say something about opposites - that's true.....

 

[kwaw]

ETA; Oh and another think I wanted to add about the Pope's chair. I was looking up close at the deck the day before yesterday and I have to say I think (and I think this has been discussed before) that the Pope isn't sitting on a throne.

(check out Pope scan in the above link I posted). I think he is descending a staircase. That odd curlicue effect, top left hand corner and the way it sweeps down. I think it is a staircase. And only one foot is visible. He is in movement, see. Reminds me of Duchamp's Nude Descending a Staircase. The same movement. And the way his head is "naively" turned, as if looking from side to side.

...

Yes, JMD has made the same observation and I think it a distinct possibility too, as descending the stairs of the pulpit perhaps.

 

[Lillie]

Sorry to look like an idiot, but the card that isn't the tower...

What does the title translate as?

 

[gregory]

What - La Fouldre ?

Lightning.

 

[Lillie]

Cheers, it was that on the Veiville too, wasn't it?

With the smartie tree.