Various Visconti-Sforza reproductions

[felicityk]

This was a project I started a while ago, but my interest was recently revived by a discussion on another forum. I have thrown together a little web page comparing the Devil and Tower from all the different Visconti-Sforza reproductions on the market.

http://home.attbi.com/~felicityk/tarot/visconti/

For those who are not aware, the Devil and Tower cards are missing from the most complete version of the Visconti-Sforza deck (as are the Three of Swords and Knight of Coins, though they are more easily extrapolated). Each reproduction has a different take on the missing cards.

I am also aware of a Devil and Tower drawn by Isa Donelli, but unfortunately I downloaded these images some time ago and don't remember where I got them. I didn't include these on the page, since I don't know whether this deck was actually published.

http://home.attbi.com/~felicityk/tarot/visconti/iddevil.jpg
http://home.attbi.com/~felicityk/tarot/visconti/idtower.jpg

If anyone has any further information regarding a Visconti-Sforza reproduction with replacement cards by Isa Donelli, please let me know. I am also looking for the name of the artist who did the replacement cards for the Dal Negro reproduction.

Also, if anyone could share scans of the new Devil and Tower from the 2002 Lo Scarabeo book and deck set, or full scans of the Dal Negro Tower or Il Meneghello Devil, I would be very grateful!

Felicity

[jmd]

Thanks for this great resource, Felicityk.

In terms of discussions, and as I have mentioned elsewhere, it may just be possible that these two cards are not 'missing' from the deck, but maybe, just maybe, never formed part of it.

Worth discussing, as well as commenting on the images created to render this a 'proper' Tarot by ensuring it too has 78 cards.

...looking forward to a rich discussion!

[felicityk]

Originally posted by jmd
In terms of discussions, and as I have mentioned elsewhere, it may just be possible that these two cards are not 'missing' from the deck, but maybe, just maybe, never formed part of it.

That's my suspicion too, as so many partial decks have been found and not a single one of them has an existing Devil or Tower.

Felicity

[Cerulean]

This is a drawn version of the Visconti majors:

http://www.wonderful-tarot.com/english/visconti.htm

I'm afraid I'm a little lacking at the moment...my Visconti Gold kits again went to someone for their Mother's Day gift and I'm doing replacements soon...

Mari H.

[Two of Wands]

Felicityk's site:

"This deck is sometimes called the Pierpont-Morgan Visconti, after the library in New York that holds the majority of the original cards."

I've often, often, often wondered where the original cards are actually kept and never found it written anywhere. Thanks Felicityk. Can you tell me any more about where others are kept, and baout this library and whether these are actually on display in the library???

[felicityk]

Originally posted by Two of Wands
Can you tell me any more about where others are kept, and about this library and whether these are actually on display in the library???

According to Stuart Kaplan in the Encyclopedia of Tarot, Vol. 1, the Pierpont Morgan Library houses 35 of the 74 Visconti-Sforza cards. 26 are at the Carrara Academy in Bergamo, Italy. The final 13 are in the private collection of the Colleoni family (also in Bergamo). I'm assuming this information is up-to-date as Andy's Playing Cards confirms it.

I have in fact seen "Bergamo" added to the name of the deck, but "Pierpont Morgan-Bergamo Visconti-Sforza" is pretty unwieldy!

I'm afraid I don't know anything about the Pierpont Morgan Library, but maybe someone else can enlighten us.

Felicity

[Cerulean]

Tarocchi Visconti-Sforza Meneghello

http://www.trigono.com/tarots/tarocchi-visconti-sforza.htm


For Del Negro:
http://www.trigono.com/tarots/TA02TAVI.htm

Best wishes,

Mari H.

[felicityk]

Mari, the artist Trigono links with the Dal Negro edition is Marziano da Tortona, one of the people associated with the original cards.

http://www.tarothermit.com/marziano.htm

I'm still curious if it lists anywhere who did the replacement cards for the Dal Negro edition.

Felicity