Moorish Playing Card Deck Fragment

About the Deck

From an uncut sheet found in a museum in Barcelona. This deck provides an important link between the Mamluk deck pattern and the Mediterranean deck pattern, because it shares features of both; in general it looks fairly European, but the wands look like Polo Sticks and the Cups still look like Myriads, harking back to Ancient Chinese money-suited cards.

Provenance

Spain, c. 1414.

According to Many Schools of Thought

Papus's Divinatory Meanings

Opposition. Unimportant obstacles raised by one of the lovers.

A. E. Waite's Secondary Meanings

Upright

Favourable in things of pleasure and business, as well as love; also wealth and honour.

Reversed

Passion.

S. L. MacGregor Mathers's Divinatory Meanings

Upright

Love, Attachment, Friendship, Sincerity, Affection

Reversed

Crossed desires, Obstacles, Opposition, Hindrance.

Mme. Le Marchand's Divinatory Meanings

a marriage; fidelity in wedlock