Rycote Chapel Ceiling Stars
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These stars were discovered during restoration work at Rycote Chapel, carried out by English Heritage in the 1960s
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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.