A divinatory form of "Roll call patience"

Some years ago I made assertion that there is only one form patience that has a use as a fortune telling method. https://anthonylesq.blogspot.com/2013/08/oracle-patience-two-descriptions.html 

I am evidently wrong. 

This unusual form of card divination that I feature here can be found on p 30 of Muhammed Ali's "Telling fortunes by cards" [Cartlon B Case] as method D. It is a curious cross between a game of patience and a divination method, specifically, the very simple form of patience  sometimes called "Roll call" or "Hit or miss". Here is a video showing how you play it:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMTJtLrH6WE (I recall reading a book saying that this form of patience, without the divinatory function, is the most efficient waster of time after television--)

***

Below is shown the original text of the work, taken from https://archive.org/details/tellingfortunesb00case/page/30/mode/2up . Another version can be found here https://www.gutenberg.org/files/42008/42008-h/42008-h.htm#Page_30

***

The instructions, are in summary: 

1. - Shuffle the 52-card pack
   
   
2. - Turn out cards, saying  " Ace , 2 [...] 10, jack, queen, king" and back to Ace. 
   
   
3. - Whenever the value of the card turned up matches that of the count, it is set aside as a "hit". 
   
   
4. - if 2 or 3 cards of the same value are also turned out, they too are set aside, even if they do not match the count.
   
   
5. - "Runs"  [e.g. 2, 3, 4] are also set aside as hits , even if they do not match the count, 
   
   
6. - the misses are reformed into a pack, and steps 1-5 are repeated with them twice more.
   
   
7. - The hits are collected (presumably without shuffling), and dealt out in 4 piles, two cards at a time. 
   
   
8. - The book shows the piles as arranged in the form of a cross, each pile named after a cardinal direction, like this: 

North
West    East
South. 

Interpretation: 

- each  pile is read is an indication of the future. North represents the most immediate future, followed by South, then East, then west,

- Carter provides two sets of meanings, one "ancient' and another  "modern" for each card of the 52 card pack. 

- Of the two the modern seems to be suited to this method; most of the ancient meanings are directly related to marriage. 

**

Astute readers would note that this method does not answer specific questions (eg "will i get a job"?) , but rather general open ended readings about what would happen in the future, probably about a week or so. 

Regarding the ancient and modern meanings of the cards,  (pp 12 and 20, respectively) they too are worth commenting upon. Consider the auspiciousness of the suits: In the ancient system, the suits are ranked thus: 

Clubs: Most Auspicious suit signify happiness
Hearts: "lovemaking, invitations and good friends"
Diamonds: Money,
Spades : Least auspicious suit, annoyance, loss. 

But, in the modern system, Case reverses the auspiciousness of clubs and diamonds,  so diamonds (representing wealth) are more auspicious than clubs, which are reinterpreted as "business matters". Those with a marxist bent would clearly see the stamp of capitalism on this matter-- wealth literally trumping relatonships... 

"Lad" pattern 童子

"Lad" pattern, 童子, anon 128 cards, namely 

3 suits

9 cards each suit + 3 extra

4 copies of each of the above;

to which are added 

additional 8 cards   

. 

A deck of money-suited cards purchased in China. They are made of plastic, and have square corners. 

The suit of coins, on the left, the ace, and so on till the 9; the penultimate card on the right 

Notice the delightfully careless way the 8 of coins is arranged

The leftmost card [i.e. the one with the red stripe is the 白花, White Flower] 

The suit of strings. As you may have noticed, these cards have scoops in the top, which serve as indices

the 9 of coins is also arranged in a delightfully careless manner 

The leftmost card is what appears to be a bonus; he has a red X on his chest 

The suit of myriads. The faces are rather mask-like. The 8 of myriads has a small dab of coloir on his head. 

The fouur bonus cards on the deck. 

The third card from the left, depicting a standing figure, is the 童子, or boy

The fourth card from the left, with two red squiuggles is the 千萬, thousand myriad

The back depicts the word 福, prosperity 

Mah Jongg Cards:

"Mah Jong playing cards" Happiness, 148c. 

麻雀纸牌, 囍, 148 副

The present deck of cards is a deck of cards for playing the game of Mahjong. Cards of this make have evidently been around for a long time,  This post by the knowledgable Tom Sloper https://www.sloperama.com/mjfaq/cards.htm - perhaps well over a decade old now- shows decks of Mahjong Cards that are very similar in design to this present deck. The present dc

Decks of mahjong playing cards have been featured previously in this blog. (See This, This, This ). In any case the deck featured here seems pretty rare now; Most decks are of the wider, 'poker' format that the previously featured decks belong to. 

The Suit of Coins. The Maker's Name (happiness)囍  is found in the middle of each card

As you can see, the cards here resemble physical mahjong tiles,  One unique feature of these cards is the use of Arabic numbers in the indices. This feature is never found in actual mahjong tilesets, save those intended for export. We presume these cards were also made for export too. 

The Suit of bamboos 

In the above-mentioned post by Tom Sloper, he advises people to purchase several decks of cards, as they are inevitably misprinted. This does not appear to be true any more. Aside from the odd smudge, the cards are well-printed on nice smooth cardboard. The problems of length and misalignment are no longer evident. 

The Suit of Myriads. 

Nonetheless, these Cards, or Kards (as Sloper calls them to avoid confusion with a piece of equipment used in the American game of mahjong) are still fairly cheap.  The author purchased a ten such decks for 20 Chinese Yuan, which in 2020 is about 2USD. Evidently Mr. Sloper's supplier was making a huge profit off these decks. 

The 'Honours'.  The Three cards on the left are what are called in the west the "Dragons". Rather curiously their indices do not display the conventional western names of as Red, White and Green dragon (Left to right) , but rather romanisations of their Chinese names, viz:

中 = Chung (now usually spelt Zhong)
白= Pai (Now usually spelt Bai)
發 = Fa  (Still spelt Fa)

Even more interestingly, the four 'wind' cards ( the group in the middle,)are annotated in english, to whit, North, South, East and West. The card labelled "K" is a Joker; The Chinese character 皇 on it signifies "Emperor" or "King", hence the index. 

The flowers

Readers should note that despite having 148 cards, the present deck cannot be used to play Singaporean/Malaysian -style Mahjong. The Singaporean deck has 12 flowers instead of the 8 here; The extra 4 depict a cat, a rat, a chicken and a centipede respectively. 

The Box

Rummy Tiles

[Rummy Tiles] 104+8 C, Singapore.

In Singapore, mahjong shops sell a kind of gaming-tile. The tiles are called 'Rummy', after the game that they are used to play. However, these cards are quite different from the Rummy tiles that are commonly known in the West.These tiles are in effect a pair of International pattern decks that have been transferred into tiles.

The cards have been fairly faithfully transferred. The pips are fully represented on each card, which have an index in two corners to assist the player. The Double-ended courts are also rendered in detail, with the appropriate index attached to each rank. The ace of Spades is also enlarged, agreeing to custom. 

But the most striking feature of the cards is their colour. Each suit is assigned a colour. Spades are black, Hearts are Red, Clubs are Green and Diamonds are yellow. The tiles are so small [ Around 3.5 by 2.8 cm], the risk of confusion between suits would be higher if only two colours were used. 

Knowledgeable readers might recognize these as the four colours of the German Turnierbild decks, save that clubs and Spades have swapped colours.

Through the four suits, the courts possess an identical design. They are differentiated only by the suit symbol, and the colour of the frame that surrounds the courts.  

The King is clearly inspired by the King of Diamonds in a standard deck. The Jack and Queen are less certain. The Queen might be inspired by Possibly the Q. of Diamonds or Clubs. 

The Suit of Diamonds. The attention to detail in the courts is formidable. The maker has taken care to give the faces and bodies of the courts different colours. 

The Joker depicts the head of a clown. There are Eight jokers in this set, corresponding to four in each deck. 

The tiles are relatively thick, as seen in the picture. 

Their backs are "Plain".By contrast, Most kinds of mahjong Tiles sold have a layer of different-coloured plastic attached to their backs. 

The tiles in their carrying-case. Such cases are also used to store mahjong tiles. The case is made of leather-like plastic. Within this case are stored four smaller "trays" that make the tiles easier to bring out of the case. In between them is an oblong tray, which would be usually filled with jetons. This set lacks the jetons. 

 Note the Eight blank tiles in the left-hand side of the case. These are spares, If a tile is lost, this blank tile can be sent to an engraver to be engraved with a replacement. 

Chinese Domino cards- "十五湖"

Chinese domino cards- "十五湖" , "Double fish"- 84c.

 We now come to a Most rare and curious deck- The chinese domino cards, or 十五湖 as they are known in that language. I am informed that the cards are cheifly used by the cantonese, But even then, the use of this cards ( at least in singapore, where I got them) is practically extinct. The keeper of the shop informed me that I was the first person under 50 who had inquired about this deck, and after a long and exhaustive search, finally found them
 But, to proceed. The deck consists of 21 individual cards, each repeated 4 times, making for a total of 84 cards.The 21 cards are based on the 21 possible throws of a pair of dice.

Note the following features-
1- the ones and fours are coloured red.
2- The cards are divided into 2 halves by a small picture. In some cases, this is a pair of fishes (the brand name), but in some cases, we see the name "天生"- presuedly the company's name. Other pictures include swimmers, dogs, and flowers. These other vinigettes reflect the nicknames of the combinations. For example, the 5-5 is known as "the plum-blossom"- on that card, we see a little flower. Likewise, the 1-2, is called "the chicken"( 么雞三), and so has a that animal on it. However, not all the card's nicknmes are featured, and in other cases, pictures have been inserted that bear no relavance to the card's name.

Mahjong - III - "游の屋"

Mahjong- 144c. "游の屋"

 We have a rather curious case here. Aldough the cards to all appearences the cards look chinese, the name of the maker contains  "の"- a japanese word, meaning "of". However, it is known that in taiwan, this character is sometimes used to replace 的, having an identical meaning, to give the brand a more exotic feel. Hence, if I did not err in the transcription, the maker's name is "house of games"
Another curious feature is the colour scheme. This deck replaces blue with black, and the 2s, 3s and 5s of coins are only printed in either red or green, onitting black/blue entirely

                                                                             Coins.  

bamboos.

萬- wan or 10000s

The winds ( top, with "南"inverted) & dragons ( bottom) Again, black replaces blue

Some flowers. Note the different, more stylized carving

"Piquet" (swiss french pattern ). Müller

 "Piquet" (swiss french pattern ), Müller, 36c.
this deck is of the swiss-french ( or french swiss) pattern .it is essentially a swiss version of the playing cards used in paris. The cards are used in the french-speaking parts of the country.
The name "piquet"is very curious. The game of Piquet as we know it today is played with 32 cards, but this deck has 36 cards. the only explaiation for  this is that the swiss were refering to a very ancient version of the game, played with 36 cards.

compare this deck with a parisian deck :

 http://anthonylesq.blogspot.com/2011/10/paris-pattern-grimaud.html

See also: http://anthonylesq.blogspot.com/2011/12/swiss-playing-cards-jass-muller.html 

Württemberg pattern , ASS altenburg

Württemberg pattern , 48 cards ( 2 x 24) , ASS altenburg.

The Württemberg pattern is somewhat of a hodge-podge. The court cards probably evolved from the courts of a Tarock ( german version of tarot) deck , hence the mounted obers in the deck ( tarot/tarock decks, needless to say, have knights).
The deck comes in two forms, the first, and less common form, is a normal 32- card deck , for playing skat, schafkopf ( sheepshead),  &c. The second, and more common form, ( shown here) is comprised of two 24-card decks united together, with the following ranks in each suit
Ace, King, Ober, Under , 10, 7
The curious ranking is because this deck is used to play the game of "binokel", in which the 10 and 7 hold special powers. This game, which my American readers may know as "pinochle" used to be played with a pair of 32 card decks, till the players threw out the non-scoring ranks of eight and nine.
Note the following features:
1- The obers have their name written out in full on them
2-The under of bells carries a knapsack
3- The aces are decorated with pictures of food and drink.

Tarocco bolognese , Dal negro- part I

Tarocco bolognese , Dal negro. 62 cards.
 the court cards of this deck are almost identical to the ones in the "primera bolognese " pattern http://anthonylesq.blogspot.com/2011/10/primera-bolognese-modanio.html, save with the addition of queens.

It would also be of interest that this pattern  was one of the first patterns to be double faced, ( c. 1800)

On tarot:

Whatever the local fortune teller or pastor has told you about tarot cards is wrong.

Trarot cards were NOT invented by egyptians, or gypsies. they were invented in Italy during the 14th-15th c.( no-one is quite sure about the date!)
Neither were they invented for divinatory puropses! they were essentially a extended deck with more cards to make the games more interesting. This becomes especially apparent when you consider the deck's structure.
the structure of a tarot deck:
the tarot deck is divided into 2 parts:

I- A deck of 56 cards, in the 4 Latin suits.
     each of the 4 suits is divided thus:
      1- a series of 10 pip cards, from 1-10
       2 - a series of 4 picture cards, viz: KIng, Queen, Knight ( cavalier), and knave ( jack)

II - A series of 22 cards, called "trumps", which outrank the former series:
21 of these cards bear numbers from 1-21, and one is unnumbered.
***
Part I of the deck is known by the fortune telling dunces a"s the "minor arcana" , and part II as the "major arcana " it is here where you will find the omnimous sounding cards, like death, the hanged man, and the tower: but not to worry, these frgures were very probably taken from characters in triumphal parades.
    

"sarde" (modanio)

Sardinian playing cards by modanio. 40 cards.
In my opinion, this pattern is the most artistic of all those used in italy
The design of this pattern barely conceals it's spanish origins. it probably was a copy of a luxury spanish deck made sometime in the 1820s. In fact, it can be said to be simply a copy of the " Baraja Neoclasica' by clemente roxas in 1810.(http://pictures.todocoleccion.net/tc/2009/06/20/13868554.jpg for a pic of the deck.)
also note the little pictures on the 4s.
compare http://anthonylesq.blogspot.com/2011/10/spanish-playing-cards.html

castilian pattern by fournier

castilian pattern by fournier. 4 cards + 2 others.

This pattern is one of the most copied patterns, and the ace of coins has been copied by countless makers , esp. in saouth america. I rest my case.

see also: http://anthonylesq.blogspot.com/2011/10/spanish-playing-cards.html

Triestine pattern

Treistine pattern, Modanio, 40 cards.
This queer looking pattern is closely related to the Venitian pattern, as evidenced by the mottoes on the aces, and the figures on the courts.
the courts have the rather convenient ( at least if you know italian) feature of having labels on them, spelling out the card's rank and suit. for instance, the text on the king of coins reads "RE DE DANARI" - "KING OF COINS" ( lit "money") . handy of you have a bad memory.
see also-> http://anthonylesq.blogspot.com/2011/10/trevigiane-venetian-pattern.html

here you can compare the venetian ( top) and treistine ( bottom) cards

Primera Bolognese ( modanio)

Primera Bolognese by modanio, 40 cards.
this pattern is one of the most interesting patterns. the 'primera' part is the name of an ancient game, known in english as prime....

You minght be wondering how the ace of swords ( 2nd pic, 1st row, 1st from left) came to become this shape. Well, Originally, the sword was a schimitar, (  a curvy sabre) which aquired a eagle's beak at its tip, and grew increasingly curvy, till the extent it looked like a question mark.
when the pattern became double faced, the bottom part of the schimitar was cut off, leaving us only with the curious top.
 Another feature that was lost when the cards became double faced, was the skirts of  the jacks of cups and coins, who were actually female. but, over the years, when this feature became forgotten, the jacks underwent a sort of ... sex change....

"Trente et quarente" ( modanio)

"Trente et quarente" ( modanio)- 52 c, blanck backs, no jokers or indexes.
Trente et quarente is a gambling game much played in the Italian casinos. it is played with small (8x5 cm) cards , as shown here.
This pattern is known as the "Trente et Quarente pattern" . However, in the famous "all cards on the table" by Sylvia Mann, it is known as the "international pattern" the latter name, is more inconvenient, for it generally refers to the double faced English pattern ( the common "poker "or "bridge " cards)

"Toscane "(Tuscan pattern)

Tuscan pattern by Modanio. 40 cards.
up till the 1960s there was another relative of this pleasing pattern, also from tuscany, called the "small tuscan " pattern ( Toscane formato piccolo). this pattern, therefore, is known as the "large Tuscan pattern" images of this elegant deck can be found here.--
http://www.wopc.co.uk/italy/tuscan.html

Spanish Playing cards.

Spanish pattern, 40 cards, La Ducale

The spanish pattern is noted for a feature caled "la pinta"
It is a series of breaks in the black line that frames the card. for the suit of cups, there is one gap.
for the suit of swords, there are two, for batons three, but in cons, line is unbroken
by this feature, the suits may be discerned without looking at the whole card.

Note the jack of coins. in the background , there is a lamb. this feature is getting rarer and rarer.
On the knight of cups, there used to be the phrase "AHI VA!" ( whch means something like "Good heavens!) . the origin of this phrase is unknown.

( my apologies. there has been a mix-up, and the positions of the knights of coins and cups has been transposed.)

\

see also:  http://anthonylesq.blogspot.com/2011/10/piacentine-modanio.html
                http://anthonylesq.blogspot.com/2011/11/castilian-pattern-by-fournier.html
a sardinian copy of a "luxury" 19thc. spanish deck.
http://anthonylesq.blogspot.com/2011/11/sarde-modanio.html
a luxury version of this:
http://anthonylesq.blogspot.com/2011/11/los-dos-tigres-fournier.html

"piacentine" ( modanio)

Piacentine pattern , by Modanio.
40 cards.
Pedants consider this deck, despite being used in italy, as "spanish suited"
Why?
Well, there are a couple of reasons...
Firstly, compare it with this deck.
http://anthonylesq.blogspot.com/2011/10/trevigiane-venetian-pattern.html (the venetian)
Now; note the shapes of the suits of swords and batons.
In the Piacentine, the swords look like daggers, and are placed seprately, as opposed in the Venetian, where the swords look like curved sabers, joining each other at the ends to form a pleasing oval shape
The same occurs with the batons, which, here, look like lumps of wood, and in Ventian, are represented as staves, or rods, and interlace in a trelis fashion.

***

Now, is it just me, or does the king of coins in this pattern look like the king of diamonds in a bog standard English pattern? ( 3rd image. )

*****

(N.B 2 of coins added for interest. I personaly find the faces on it amusing)

 

For a deck of this pattern produced by the French maker Grimaud , see http://anthonylesq.blogspot.sg/2013/10/no85-carte-di-giuoco-piacentine-pattern.html