How exactly is the oldest known Fool, the PMB, a "street performer?" Later iterations/(mis)interpretations are hardly the key when there is no internal evidence in the PMB to suggest he is in anyway performing. How is he a performer? Perhaps he is doing a Lenny Bruce routine. Or not... I'...

Hi, Ross, From what I can anticipate, my current thinking is bound to disappoint at least Michael and Marco. You should anticipate otherwise -- we've discussed it for years, and I like your analysis, at least for the Bolognese design that lacks both female Papi and ranking of the Papi. In that deck ...

Hi, Marco, Thanks for the comments and links. It seems we basically agree on the fact that the Genius has little to do with the Bagat: we don't even get to a 50% similarity. It is visually completely different and it only has a similar position in a sequence which is a vague parallel to the trump se...

Hi, Marco, Just a few words to endorse what you and Ross have said. Personally, I think that the Cebetis Genius, being an old man without a desk, is visually very different from the Bagat, and the shape of the Bagat's hat was common in Bembo images. I think a good analogue for the bagat is the Lunat...

Hi, Marco, I am happy you find this painting interesting! Unluckily the fresco is in a bad condition and the photographs are not good. For in situ context, there is a panoramic splice of two photos on this page. cripta Madonna della Grotta http://www.ilmiosalento.com/?p=2773 https://lh3.googleuserco...

Hi, Marco, A crypt in Ortelle (Puglia, Southern Italy) contains a fresco which includes what is considered to be an allegory of the Church. The fresco has been recently restored and dated to 1400-1430. http://massimonegro.wordpress.com/2011/12/09/ortelle-madonna-della-grotta-sindone-o-velo-quaresima...

Thanks, that you remind me on this, but I thought of a specific deck with some similarity to Tarot in some cards and other allegoric motifs, and I think, the discussion is here in this Forum, but I don't remember any keyword, which I might search. I think, the date was about 1760, possibly 1770. .....

Hi, Huck, I remember an early English deck experiment with similarities to Tarot. When was this and where have we worked on it? I'm not sure what you are thinking of, but back in 2007 I posted a number of items about Tarot in England, starting with Pinkerton's essay. The 1861 Essay of William Pinker...

Hi, Mike, I want to say a little bit about Andrea's essay, if only to stimulate discussion. I'll offer my view of it, but first, thank you very much for the translation. (And thanks again to Andrea Vitali for this project , searching out some references to magicians and related performers in textual...

Hi, Mike, Fools and magicians are inherently ambiguous figures. In addition to the things noted above, they are also figures of fun. The ironic usage of fools and folly, as in the "fool for Christ", is particularly significant. That is why only a fool (or deceiver) would begin their analys...