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CARTOMANCY OR FORTUNE TELLING CARDS
The 19th century gave rise to the popularity of fortune-telling decks, also known as cartomancy decks from the French word cartomancie. One of the most famous clairvoyants during this time period was Marie-Anne Lenormand. Known as the "Sybille des Salons," Lenormand published during her lifetime a large number of books dealing with prophesy and wrote extensively about her own experiences reading cards for persons of high rank and privilege. She enjoyed a privileged relationship with Josephine de Beauharnais, meeting her in 1801 when she was invited to Malmaison. Josephine had leanings towards the superstitious, and according to Lenormand, she became a confidante of Josephine and had numerous meetings with her. Apparently, during one of their meetings, Lenormand warned Josephine that Napoleon eventually would divorce her. When the prediction came true in 1809, the police jailed Lenormand who claimed that Napoleon was so infuriated that he caused her arrest.
Cartomancy Deck, circa 1805, Vienna, Ignaz Eber, 32 of 32 cards, hand-colored copper engravings. This pack is described on the box as "32 pictorial representations for pleasant entertainment in many societies." The cards depict full-length figures with German titles, such as Misfortune is a burning house, Falseness is a cat, Discord is an angry woman chasing her man out of the house, Unexpected Pleasure is a fisherman dragging in his net a sack marked "60000," Good Luck is a woman on a cloud with a cornucopia of falling coins, Death is a figure lying in an open coffin. Some descriptions have handwritten additions in ink, such as Married Woman (Verheyrathe Frau) holding a little girl by the hand is "The Widow," Arrest (Arest) showing a prisoner lying on the floor in jail is "The Thief," The Room (Zimmer) is Society," and Illness (Krankheit) depicting a patient in bed is touchingly named Mama. Backs are an abstract floral design in red and blue. Size 3 3/8 in. (8.5 cm) high, 2 1/8 in. (5.5 cm) wide.
Details
Cartomancy Deck, circa 1805, Vienna, Ignaz Eber, 32 of 32 cards, hand-colored copper engravings. This pack is described on the box as "32 pictorial representations for pleasant entertainment in many societies." The cards depict full-length figures with German titles, such as Misfortune is a burning house, Falseness is a cat, Discord is an angry woman chasing her man out of the house, Unexpected Pleasure is a fisherman dragging in his net a sack marked "60000," Good Luck is a woman on a cloud with a cornucopia of falling coins, Death is a figure lying in an open coffin. Some descriptions have handwritten additions in ink, such as Married Woman (Verheyrathe Frau) holding a little girl by the hand is "The Widow," Arrest (Arest) showing a prisoner lying on the floor in jail is "The Thief," The Room (Zimmer) is Society," and Illness (Krankheit) depicting a patient in bed is touchingly named Mama. Backs are an abstract floral design in red and blue. Size 3 3/8 in. (8.5 cm) high, 2 1/8 in. (5.5 cm) wide.