Thank you Ross for the additional info. I had a feeling that since it had been removed to a private collection some time ago, it might not be as well known. From the dustjacket summary of the book, Gli Affreschi Quattrocenteschi Del Castello Di Masnago: "...Towards the middle of the (15th) cent...

There is just as much reason to think the switch from people to beasts is simply an elaboration on a concept, rather than a rendering error. The donkey ears on a figure traditionally refer to the base instinct. A lack of "thinking". Animal instinct. A buffoon. And reliance on that base ins...

Here is a photo of a fresco in the Castello di Masnago. (Lombardy, first half 15th c.) I imagine someone must have published this elsewhere, but I found it in the book: "Gli Affreschi Quattrocenteschi Del Castello Di Masnago", Credito Varesino, 1967. (In Italian) It is notable in that it i...

Is it not the unicorn terrace? What we supposed to do here, say 'there is no unicorn' and leave it that? Hardly my idea of a unicorn hunt. Historically speaking, I believe the men carry spears, though some may prefer the axe, as it may deliver a more fanciful narrative. Also, dogs are employed for ...

For comparison, here is the Valet d'epee from the Gringonneur/Estensi deck in the Bibliotheque Nationale.

I posted this on another forum a while back, but for those who may have missed it, here it is again. Debra sent me a link to some photos of what appear to be a couple of 18th or 19th century hand drawn cards. The one on the right, with the sword, appears to be a copy of the Valet d'epee from the Gri...

Not agreeing should not necessarily be seen as resistance. I've simply offered a mundane technical explanation, for anyone interested. By "repetitious mistake" I mean a line of artists copying a reference exactly as it was originally presented. If the model version of the hand was poorly d...

....Nothing excepting what I originally said, that if the block was not intentionally (re)worked to show such but was the result of damage, perhaps Noblet was happy to let the damage go as a happy accident that brought out the implicit pun (and then perhaps added that urethral like slit that makes ...

Here is the remaining portion of the tower within the context of the entire frame of the card.
There is plenty of room for whatever is going on.
The potential space left for the foreground is particularly interesting.

What does any of this have to do with all of those missing fingers??? Isn't it unusual to show only two fingers on a hand? Why are the rest of them missing? Should that not have some bearing on how you interpret the image? Isn't it odd that the "penis" appears just at the point where we ex...