Who's in the Chariot?
Posted: 07 Apr 2008, 03:16
When I first started studying Tarot History, I was delighted to find a female charioteer on the Visconti cards.
This is the Chariot for the Cary-Yale Visconti:
Distorted Detail:
This made sense to me, as at the time I was playing with the idea that the Chariot might be related to the "Triumph of Chastity" from Petrarch's triumphs.
The Visconti-Sforza charioteer:
Now, it's interesting to note that the Visconti-Sforza horses have wings, which pushes this card into the realm of fantasy, mythology, and ideology.
Both figures hold a staff in one hand. The Visconti-Sforza holds an orb in the other, much like typical iconography for the Empress, and in later decks, also similar to the figure at the top of the Wheel of Fortune.
I'm not sure what I am seeing on the Cary-Yale card, and would really love to hear your thoughts on what is held in her other hand. Is that a dove in the center? Is this a "Visconti device"?
Why would there be a female charioteer if this is considered a "Triumphal Chariot"? Isn't usually returning soldiers who had triumphal parades?
Who is in the Chariot?
This is the Chariot for the Cary-Yale Visconti:
Distorted Detail:
This made sense to me, as at the time I was playing with the idea that the Chariot might be related to the "Triumph of Chastity" from Petrarch's triumphs.
The Visconti-Sforza charioteer:
Now, it's interesting to note that the Visconti-Sforza horses have wings, which pushes this card into the realm of fantasy, mythology, and ideology.
Both figures hold a staff in one hand. The Visconti-Sforza holds an orb in the other, much like typical iconography for the Empress, and in later decks, also similar to the figure at the top of the Wheel of Fortune.
I'm not sure what I am seeing on the Cary-Yale card, and would really love to hear your thoughts on what is held in her other hand. Is that a dove in the center? Is this a "Visconti device"?
Why would there be a female charioteer if this is considered a "Triumphal Chariot"? Isn't usually returning soldiers who had triumphal parades?
Who is in the Chariot?