Will Roya

Cotta's Almanac #2 Transformation Playing Cards

Name: Cotta's Almanac #2 Transformation Playing Cards
Brand: Will Roya
Price: 20.0 USD
Availability: InStock

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Introducing a precisely digitally hand-recreated reproduction of the next Cotta's almanac deck full of history continuing a year after the previous blue one, which was the first published complete transformation playing card deck in the world!

The second transformation deck issued by Cotta is from 1806, following the remarkable success of the first almanac deck. This deck was also aimed to have well-known court cards, the interesting main characters and featured figures from classical antiquity, taken from sources such as Greek and Roman plays, as well as the Bible, which adds another historical value to its rarity.

The images on the court cards are the "Greek and Roman mythology" characters mostly centered around the Trojan war and inspired by Jean Racine's plays such as Iphigénie, Esther, Britannicus and the "Andromaque" ("Andromache") which was first seen on November 17th, 1667 before the court of Louis XIV in the Louvre in the private chambers of the Queen, Marie Thérèse, by the royal company of actors, called "Les Grands Comédiens", with Thérèse Du Parc in the title role. Andromaque, as the third of Racine's plays, written at the age of 27, established its author's reputation as one of the great playwrights in France.

The central figure of Andromaque is depicted as the Queen of Spades, she is the wife of the Trojan military hero Hector, daughter of Eetion, and sister to Podes and six other brothers; her name Andromache represents "courage" and has a meaning of "man fighter".

Cotta's second deck was, as well as the first deck, designed by Countess Mary Day von Jennison-Walworth (sometimes spelled with a single 'n'). Her maiden name was Beauclerk, and she was the wife of Count Francis Jenison Walworth (1764-1824). She was an illegitimate (twin) child who led a very colourful life and finally settled down somewhat after marrying Count Francis in 1797.
The court cards were designated with the words "Valet", "Dame", and "Roi", which are the French terms corresponding to the Jack, Queen, and King.

In the first deck, beside Joan of Arc depicted as the Queen of Spades, other individuals closely associated with Joan include Etienne de Vignolles or La Hire (Jack of Hearts), who helped Joan to victory in the battle of Patay in 1429; and Raymond (Jack of Diamonds), a peasant who was Joan's page.

Key political leaders who figured prominently in the events surrounding Joan's life are also represented, including King Charles VII (King of Hearts), the French monarch who relied on Joan's help to reach the Rhiems, the traditional place of coronation; Charles' mother Isabeau (Queen of Hearts), who was in league with Charles' enemy; Charles' mistress Agnes Sorel (Queen of Diamonds); Charles' opponent Philippe the Good (King of Diamonds), an ally of England; and the king of Naples, René d'Anjou (King of Clubs), who lost the kingdom after defeat in battle. General Talbot (King of Spades) was the English commander of the outpost of Orleans at Saint Loup, who was wounded in battle, captured, and was part of a prisoner exchange.

Both Joan's "sister" Louison (Queen of Clubs) and Montgomery (Jack of Clubs) are fictional creations of Schiller, while the fictional Lionel (Jack of Spades) is the character who holds up Joan's sword in a location revealed by the voices that she supposedly heard telling her to help.

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