Looking at the large facsimilies of the Cary Yale and the PMB Visconti, as far as it's possible to tell - without examination of the actual cards themselves - the court card cups and coins (and their characteristic details) have been indicated by outlines (either embossed or possibly simply outlined in paint, it's difficult to tell for sure), rather than painted all over. Most are a lot clearer than in this photograph, but Steve's description of the shape makes more visual sense than my 'flask'. I have tried enlarging the image in Photoshop, but it's not at all clear - I may try again later today if I've time.
Re. the cost of the gold (and the time involved), I honestly don't think this would have been of the slightest relevance in a Renaissance court. Also, gold can be beaten or rolled out to be incredibly thin, so that a tiny amount will cover a large area. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_leaf
Pen
Edited to add that I posted at the same time as Ross. I see the cup clearly now - it's the paint retained on the stem (the darker underside? that confuses the issue).
Re: man and moose
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Last edited by Pen on 12 Apr 2010, 19:25, edited 1 time in total.
He's not the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy...