#6
by Lorredan
Hi Nicole- I do not think he is an orthodox- just a Pawnbroker/Jewish Lombard (Banker)- from thence a Goldsmith- I think you might find three blue pomegranates hanging where three gold coins would formerly might have been.
He is not named in the Visconti. Le Ore is hours and Dall' Ore-fice is goldsmith. Any interest charged was called Usury- not how it is understood today. Christian were forbidden to loan money annd charge interest- so the Jewish moneylenders were very important and time was by year for interest. The stem on the red hat is a first clue- and I cannot quite see what that is on his robe- but it looks like three round things by a box like thing- which they hung from their waist cords. The Blue is another clue- from the Hewbrew writings to wear a blue wool robe dyed with chilazon, the dye is called Tekhelet (the same blue is on the Isreali flag)
I guess if I am right a maxim for this card might be Time is money and I might call it 'Usurio or MoneyLender.
BUT........I cannot enlarge the area on the card even with the large card posted by Robert- yet with a magnifying glass on the photo reproduction you can almost see the three balls(pomegranates). Without evidence to the contrary- they could be patches on a Hermit's coat. Very expensive for a Hermit as was the tekhelet -very expensive.
~Lorredan
The Universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.
Eden Phillpotts