Rycote Chapel Ceiling Stars
These stars were discovered during restoration work at Rycote Chapel, carried out by English Heritage in the 1960s
They were painted on the backs of playing cards and then fixed to the ceiling. They are probably French in origin and pre-date 1628 when King Charles forbade any further imports of such playing cards.
In Tudor times many high status and religious buildings had painted ceilings with gold stars on a blue background. Henry V’s Court of Star Chamber at the Palace of Westminster takes its name from the painted ceiling of the room where the court sat.
