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Showing posts from November, 2014

The Game Called Pope Joan

Here is a rare playing board for the card game Pope Joan.   The game was named for a supposed female Pope in the 800's who actually never existed .   The card game was popular from the mid-1700's all the way into the early 1800's.  The upper classes in England played this game at parties.    The round wooden playing board is divided into eight sections where the cards are placed.   When I was reading a lot of English history and literature from the 18th century, the game Pope Joan would be mentioned from time to time as a popular pastime,  and I became interested in learning more about it, so I have been wanting one of these boards for a long time.  Now I need a set of cards to go with it.  Here are upper class people playing Pope Joan. The drawing was printed about 1796 and is also making fun of the feathers that adorned the ladies' hair at the time.  

Gourds are Drying in the Field