Model of the Sermones de Ludo Cum Aliis / Pomeran Order / Ferrarese pattern
The order appeared in the text of a Franciscan monk (only probably Franciscan), who lived around or short before 1300 (likely) near to Ferrara and opposed playing and also Tarot playing. It is given usually as the oldest numerical order of the Tarot cards (which it not necessarily is) and it differs from the order, as it is commonly known nowadays.
The order is called (together with some other known similar orders) the Ferrarese pattern (or Eastern pattern ororder B), assigned to the region of Ferrara and Venice, defining it in a contrast to the Milanese pattern (also called Western pattern), which
determined the later Tarot de Marseille. A third pattern is called Bolognese (or Southern pattern). Compare to this the page of Andy Pollett.
Deck fragments at Metropolitan Museum of Art and Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest (late 15th, early 16th century)
presented at Kaplan II, p. 271 - 276 (see Trumps of the deck )
Differences to Sermones: The persons (2-4) have another ordering; Lovers and Chariot are exchanged in position. The deck offers only numbers for 1-10 and 12, but one can see, that Temperance is also in the group 6-10.
Classical Rouen Tarot (called also Leber Tarot)
Differences to Sermones: only few trumps are extant, the trumps have curious Latin names (for instance RERUM EDAX for Hermit), the numbers are more or less identical to the Sermones
Pomeran, Triomphi poem, 1534 (row is reversed in the poem)
Difference to the Sermones: The persons (2-4) have another ordering; Lovers and Chariot are exchanged in position; identical to the deck fragments in Metropolitan Museum and Budapest (see above); the Pomeran poem and the above mentioned deck fragments do confirm each other and the writing of a monk about a card game (to which he not necessarily was very familiar with, at least if one
believes his opposing talk) might contain a simple error, so perhaps the Pomeran text should considered as the more stable "Ferrarese order".
G. Bertoni, Poesie, ca. 1550
Garzoni, La Piazza Universale, 1587
0 Fool
5 PERSONS
1 Magician
? Empress
? Emperor
? Popess
5 Pope
5 GOOD
6 Temperance
? Love
? Chariot
9 Strength
10 Wheel
5 BAD
11 Hermit
12 Hanged Man
13 Death
14 Devil
15 Lightning
5 AT THE TOP
16 Star
17 Moon
18 Sun
19 Angel
20 Justice
21 World
Notes:
It's assumed, that the card "Hermit" (= Father Time) was understood in the Ferrarese order as a bad aspect (Father Time interpreted as being old and sick; the presentation showed usually a crippled old man). In the Pierpont-Morgan-Bergamo Tarocchi the Hermit is constrasting dressed as an old man of some wealth, probably the Milanese interpretation differed from the Ferrarese interpretation.
The high position of Justice in the Ferrarese pattern meets with a general preference of Borso, duke of Ferrara (1413 - 1471), for the virtue of Iustitia. It's assumed by me, that the difference in the Ferrarese order goes back to the preference of Duke Borso.
(autorbis, provisional note)