New at Trionfi.com

Huck

Franco Pratesi has located a thick handwritten register book, which contains documents to Minchiate exports from Toscana to other places for the years 1729 - 1762. The book is ...

The book studied is bound in vellum paper and has dimensions 22x31cm with a thickness of 7cm. In the initial page the book is stated to contain [143 or] 243 folios, but we find there 240 folios numbered, followed by about 50 further ones, unnumbered.

... so about 600 pages, all full of playing card export notes. Beside usual playing cards and in one case only "Tarocchi on transit" there are ...

... 62517 Minchiate decks (period 1729 - 1762), from which 72.2 % went to Roma, 11.2 % to Siena, 12.6 % to the rest of Italy and 4.0 % = 2485 to all others outside of Italy. Between them 40 decks for Colognia at 5th of January 1731 (the earliest known Minchiate deck in Germany, if they ever reached their destination; Cologne is the home of the Trionfi redaction and we're exited), 24 decks for Vienna at 22th of September 1729 a little earlier (as far I'm informed, this is decades before the earliest known Tarock note in Austria), 4 decks for Londra = London in England at 3rd of October, 1753 (this should be also the "first") and some more interesting details.

600 handwritten pages are a lot to analyze, as everybody might imagine. A little applause for this heroic work is welcome. Especially, as finding this book had been likely more work than the analysis.

http://trionfi.com/ev15
for the text
http://trionfi.com/0/ev/15/st/
for the lists, which are many

... :) ...

... well, I've one card of them, personally smuggled inside a book from Italy to Cologne without any tax-stamp formalities, although 250 years too late ...

fool-min.jpg


... here flirting with a young lady nearby ...

fool-min-3.jpg


Here's the document on the list, I translate "5th of January, 1731, Folio 20r, MOL for Molinelli, 40 packs for Colognia" ... however, Franco says, there is a 25% failure chance, that Colognia might be "Bolognia", well, it's handwritten and often difficult to read.

fool-min-4.jpg


Many lists like this one for each year, and one big table for all years.
 

Huck

Franco Pratesi has published this month 3 new articles:

http://trionfi.com/ev15
1729-1762: EXPORTS OF FLORENTINE MINCHIATE, 07.05.2013
with an addition:
http://trionfi.com/0/ev/15/st/
Minchiate Export Lists 1729-1762

http://trionfi.com/ev16
(1606 + 1693) 17th CENTURY: GERMINI, TAROCCHI, MINCHIATE, 14.05.2013

http://trionfi.com/ev17
1835-1855: AREZZO, CARD PLAYING AT ACCADEMIA DEI COSTANTI, 18.05.2013

******************

These 3 are embedded in a broader field of Franco Pratesi : "Minchiate/Germini" articles, which I present here as a list, sorted according the time to which they refer to:

EARLY: http://trionfi.com/es03
ROSENWALD’S FOURTH SHEET, 24.11.2011
(a specific consideration, according which the Rosenwald Tarocchi might have been an early 15th century Minchiate deck)

EARLY: http://trionfi.com/es19
1517 GERMINI AMONG OTHER GAMES, 28.03.2012
(two documents were found, according which the name "Germini" was used in Florence in 1517 and 1519; this is the oldest, much earlier than the next, 1529, which also found in the recent years)

NEW: http://trionfi.com/ev16
(1606 + 1693) 17th CENTURY: GERMINI, TAROCCHI, MINCHIATE, 14.05.2013
( 2 documents, from which the first makes clear, that Tarocchi still played a role in Toscana in 1606; from 1636 on it seems clear, that there was no Tarocchi production in Toscana; imports of Tarocchi appeared again 1752)


http://trionfi.com/ev11
DOMANDA E RIPOSTA, 07.03.2013
(Minchiate poem mid 17th century)

NEW: http://trionfi.com/ev15
1729-1762: EXPORTS OF FLORENTINE MINCHIATE, 07.05.2013
with an addition:
http://trionfi.com/0/ev/15/st/
Minchiate Export Lists 1729-1762
(4% of the Minchiate export went to countries outside of Italy)


http://trionfi.com/ev09
1775-87 : CARD PRODUCTION IN TUSCAN GRAND DUCHY, 26.01.2013
(Minchiate has then a market participation of nearly 10%)

http://trionfi.com/es18
1791 PRODUCTION AND SALE OF PLAYING CARDS IN TUSCANY, 24.03.2012
(again: Minchiate has a market participation of nearly 10%)

http://trionfi.com/ev08
1801-07 – CARD PRODUCTION IN THE ETRURIA KINGDOM, 12.01.2013
(the political state of Tuscany had changed then; it was then more Spanish under some French control)

http://trionfi.com/ev12
1810-1811 – PLAYING CARDS IN LUCCA, 22.03.2013
(doesn't include Minchiate, but just confirms, that at this time Lucca hadn't Minchiate; Lucca had been under French control then)

EARLY: http://trionfi.com/es02
FLORENTINE CARD PRODUCTION IN ABOUT 1840 ?, 18.11.2011
(Minchiate had then a market participation of 1%; the T)

NEW: http://trionfi.com/ev17
1835-1855: AREZZO, CARD PLAYING AT ACCADEMIA DEI COSTANTI, 18.05.2013
(it refers to Arezzo and so to the series of Arezzo articles, but the deciding observation is, that Minchiate had fallen at the end of the period to a very small participation - in contrast to 18th century Minchiate)


****************

Franco Pratesi's work has the declared limitation to focus on Florence and Tuscany ... for the understandable reasons, that Toscana a. has the best archived documents and b. he lives in Toscana, and these documents are easier reachable to him than documents elsewhere and c. he lives in Florence and has a certain local patriotism ... :).
On the other hand we in our self-declared interest in the history of Tarot and related games have an interest in some objective perspectives how things might have happened.

Franco early (10 years ago and likely already earlier) explained - in contrast to many other reigning opinions of the time - that Florence should have had - according its overall cultural dominance - a strong role in the development of the Trionfi cards. Milan had the early cards, Ferrara the early documents and Bologna the special favor of some then. Dummett himself had explained, that it must have come from either Milan, Ferrara or Bologna.
Franco contradicted this opinion. He needed a half year of archive work to make his point clear (November 2011 till April 2012, when the silk dealer articles appeared).
http://trionfi.com/es43

Franco predicted another astonishing point once, and that was, that Minchiate likely had a stronger distribution than Tarocchi. Let's say, "till 1750" was likely, what he meant.
It seems plausible, that he might have success in this question, too.

*************

A small book (118 pages) had appeared in Winter 2012/13

Franco Pratesi: Playing Card Trade in 15th Century Florence (IPCS Papers No. 7)
- ISSN 0305-2133
... available for 12 English pounds.

"This book is a landmark in the history of early playing cards in Italy".

.... is the comment of Thierry Depaulis in a longer foreword. Beside the foreword and a final chapter "Personal Memories and Acknowledgements" the texts had appeared at our website Trionfi.com before ( inside the larger collection at http://trionfi.com/es00 )

The book has selected the articles related to the period 1415-1463.

************

By the studies of Franco Pratesi in the year 2011/2012 the number of early Trionfi card documents between 1440-1462 was increased by more than 200% ... so there was a research revolution.

I think most members of AT didn't get it, that there had been a major change in the discussion about the origin of Tarot.
 

Rosanne

I think most members of AT didn't get it, that there had been a major change in the discussion about the origin of Tarot.

That could be that you are the only one of generous spirit Huck, to post here about developments.
I think also that people read elsewhere, but do not post, so maybe not as unaware as you think.
1. The origins have moved from Milan to Florence.
2. There may be no need to look for a consistent sequence in Tarot.
3. There is a possibility that a multi- use pack like/or the Minchiate was the origin of Tarot?
4. That the originator may well have been someone living alone (like a Hermit)?
5. The cards were left unnumbered because of regional differences, and placed later in the region they arrived in.
6. The Rosenwald sheet maybe a Minchiate.
7. The suits are four, with a choice 4x10 + 1 sets??? = 2 sets +1 = Tarot? Or something similar??? (which makes perfect sense) or you can have them all together.
8. and anything else that you put in Il Trionfi.......;)
Thanks Huck- please correct my points if needed.

~Rosanne
 

Huck

Michael S. Howard (= MikeH) has translated recently the following articles from Andrea Vitali:

Games and Magic in Ferrara
On a manufacturer of tarot cards, on games and repressive laws, on witches and magic
http://www.letarot.it/page.aspx?id=288&lng=ENG

Christ, the great gambler
A cantata "For the birth of Our Lord" of Baroque Naple
http://www.letarot.it/page.aspx?id=274

Taroch in Milan in the XVIth century
On a Cheribizo and a manufacturer of playing cards
http://www.letarot.it/page.aspx?id=265&lng=ENG

Emperor Moon and Pope Sun
The thesis of the Church on the superiority of the Pope
http://www.letarot.it/page.aspx?id=282&lng=ENG

The Twelve Words of Truth
A soldier who goes to Mass with a deck of cards in the pocket of his trousers
http://www.letarot.it/page.aspx?id=239&lng=ENG

A poor Artist of the sixteenth century
A painter become decorator of Tarot
http://www.letarot.it/page.aspx?id=214&lng=ENG

Ruzante the peasant
Bagatelles, traitors and triumphs in card games in the works of Angelo Beolco
http://www.letarot.it/page.aspx?id=316&lng=ENG

The astral origin of the Soul
A Neoplatonic myth in the iconography of a few cards of the Triumphs
http://www.letarot.it/page.aspx?id=197&lng=ENG

Nativitas
The Feast of Sol Invictus
http://www.letarot.it/page.aspx?id=170&lng=ENG

Castel del Monte
The number eight and Christian mysticism
http://www.letarot.it/page.aspx?id=167&lng=ENG

Giordano Bruno and the Tarot
At this cursed game I cannot win, because I have a terrible memory
http://www.letarot.it/page.aspx?id=223&lng=ENG

The Castle of Malpaga
Game of Triumphs or Cartomancy with Triumphs?
http://www.letarot.it/page.aspx?id=354&lng=ENG

Triumphs in the Bonfire of the Vanities
Girolamo Savonarola and the Piagnoni in Florence in 1497
http://www.letarot.it/page.aspx?id=356&lng=ENG

Odi et Amo [I hate and I love]
Of Love and Hate for the 'Game of Tarot '
http://www.letarot.it/page.aspx?id=358&lng=ENG

Tarot and Inquisitors
In the Serenissima and Trentino, between "witches" and "Diabolical Priests"
http://www.letarot.it/page.aspx?id=323&lng=ENG

Remedy of Game-Players
Three sorts of forbidden games at the beginning of the sixteenth century
http://www.letarot.it/page.aspx?id=378&lng=ENG

To God the Tarocchino is not displeasing
A Game for the relief of poor humanity and a game of fashion
http://www.letarot.it/page.aspx?id=381&lng=ENG

The Conjuration of the Tarrocco
A magic ritual in sixteenth-century Venice
http://www.letarot.it/page.aspx?id=277&lng=ENG

Playing Tarot in Delight - 1554
Laura Dianti in the game of tarot at the Delight of the Verginese
http://www.letarot.it/page.aspx?id=394&lng=ENG

Folly and 'Melancholia'
Sensible and senseless folly in the procession of the Triumphs
http://www.letarot.it/page.aspx?id=388&lng=ENG

De Rege Scaccorum, de Imperatore Tarocorum
Playing cards and tarot if useful for scholars and courtiers to pass the time
http://www.letarot.it/page.aspx?id=392&lng=ENG

El Bagatella which is the symbol of sin
Regarding the Bagatto as the first card of the Triumphs
http://www.letarot.it/page.aspx?id=386&lng=ENG

Sorian Days
The invention of a noble holiday in chess, billiards and Tarot
http://www.letarot.it/page.aspx?id=349&lng=ENG

I won. Played Tarot
Mozart’s Salzburg days
http://www.letarot.it/page.aspx?id=332&lng=ENG
 

Huck

Franco Pratesi has published 3 new articles, still all are in a somewhat provisional state:

1815-1861: THE PRODUCTION OF PLAYING CARDS IN TUSCANY
http://trionfi.com/ev18
Additional lists: http://trionfi.com/0/ev/18/st/
A monster article with many numbers. The numbers describe the downfall of Minchiate from 4-5 % market participation between 1815-20 to 0.1 % in 1861 ... for the region of Florence and Tuscany

1821-1829: PUZZLING MINCHIATE BY GIUSEPPE BERRETARI
http://trionfi.com/ev19
Describes a special Minchiate production of cardmaker Giuseppe Barretari, which is outside the common Florentine production. It's not counted in the lists of the article above (ev18).

1752-1780 – TAX STAMPS ON TAROCCHI IN FLORENCE ?
http://trionfi.com/ev20
There was some indication, that since 1752 there were also Tarocchi in Tuscany, not only Minchiate (given by a collection to Tuscany tax stamp published in Kaplan Encyclopedia 2). Franco shows, that there weren't Tarocchi.

********************

Together with the articles ...

1775-87 : CARD PRODUCTION IN TUSCAN GRAND DUCHY http://trionfi.com/ev09 ... Minchiate 8-10 %
1791 PRODUCTION AND SALE OF PLAYING CARDS IN TUSCANY http://trionfi.com/es18 .... Minchiate nearly 10 %
1801-07 – CARD PRODUCTION IN THE ETRURIA KINGDOM http://trionfi.com/ev08 ... Minchiate 5-7 %

we have now a detailed view, how Minchiate died in Tuscany

1815-20: Minchiate 4-5%
In the 1820s: ? a sort of revival action by Berettari ?
c.1840: Minchiate below 1 %
c. 1847: Minchiate near 0.5 %
1861: Minchiate has 0.1 %
 

Huck

Huck said:
1821-1829: PUZZLING MINCHIATE BY GIUSEPPE BERRETARI
http://trionfi.com/ev19
Describes a special Minchiate production of cardmaker Giuseppe Barretari, which is outside the common Florentine production. It's not counted in the lists of the article above (ev18).

Franco Pratesi has found some more information to the same Giuseppe Berretari, who likely stands for the last bigger initiative to keep the Minchiate game alive.

1821-1829 – PUZZLING MINCHIATE REVISITED
http://trionfi.com/ev21
 

Huck

Ron Decker, once co-author of Michael Dummett and Thierry Depaulis for the often discussed "A Wicked Pack of Cards", has published a new book:

"The Esoteric Tarot: Ancient Sources Rediscovered in Hermeticism and Cabalah".

51WSnnPY9%2BL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg

http://www.amazon.com/The-Esoteric-Tarot-Rediscovered-Hermeticism/dp/0835609081

Review
https://www.forewordreviews.com/reviews/the-esoteric-tarot/

AT-discussion
http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=198317

At page 76-77 he speaks about the 5x14 theory. Ross Caldwell and Trionfi.com is mentioned. As Ron Decker stayed far of our discussions, he naturally has some errors about our internal backgrounds.

At a crucial point (for us) he states:

decker-01.jpg


... the mentioned internet discussion about the 5x14-theory is likely of us.

Decker (earlier) accepts the document of 1.1.1441 as relevant (I assume, he has read http://trionfi.com/0/d/ )

The 70 cards document of July 1457 is known to him.

The actual 5x14-theory (which is based on the analysis of the PMB cards), seems to be not known to him. He doesn't give a sign, that the Fool (0) had originally the position 11 and Angel (20) had originally 14 (which then actually leads to the "vision", that the "first 14" were the original start of the Marseille-order).

decker-02.jpg


Nonetheless he seems to come to the same conclusion: there was a 5x14-deck (though he thinks this terminus is misleading).
... :) ... well, I regard this as success.

He gives some attention to the Michelino deck and some to the document of 1.1.1441.

He gives some more details to the Franciscan document with the list with 22 cards.

Franco Pratesi's recent findings are not known to him.

*************************************************

Another literary note about the 5x14 theory will be on the market in September 2013 ....

andrea-2.jpg


note-01.jpg

note-02.jpg


Il Principe dei Tarocchi (The Prince of the Tarot)
Francesco Antelminelli Castracani Fibbia

Essay by Andrea Vitali
Pocket size, cm. 15 x 9.5, p. 110 with 42 photos black / white
Modern editions (Mystery Editorial Series), Ravenna, 2013
ISBN 978-88-89900-71-0
The book will be available since September 2013

"When was the first deck of tarot cards created and by whom? Did Prince Fibbia really exist? A delightful volume by Andrea Vitali, historian of symbolism and one of the leading international experts in the history of the Tarot, who explains everything about the origins of the most famous deck of playing cards in Europe.

In the Palazzo Fibbia of Bologna hung for many years a painting, now mysteriously disappeared and viewable only in photograph, of Prince Francesco Antelminelli Castracani Fibbia, descendant of the famous military leader Castruccio Castracani, In this painting, done in the 17th century, was writing declaring Prince Fibbia the inventor of the game of Tarot. From new documentary sources found in major institutions of the city of Bologna, Prof. Andrea Vitali undertakes a critical survey regarding this claim.

Broadening and deepening what he has already written in his essay The Prince, Prof. Vitali highlights the reasons why the invention of the 'Ludus Triumphorum' should be credited without doubt to this brilliant character.

Andrea Vitali already earlier accepted the 5x14-theory: In "Bologna and the invention of the Triumphs. Triumphs, Tarots and Tarocchini in Bologna from the XV to the XX century." ...
http://www.letarot.it/page.aspx?id=179&lng=eng
... he wrote (translated by Michael S Howard = MikeH at Aeclectic):

In an Este Commissions book, Dated January 1st 1441 we find: "... to Master Jacopo of Sagramoro painter for XIIII figures painted on cotton paper and sent to Madam Bianca of Milan to celebrate the evening of the Circumcision of this year" (...a Magistro Iacopo de Sagramoro depintore per XIIII figure depinte in carta de bambaxo et mandate a Madama Bianca da Milano per fare festa la scira de la Circumcisione de l'anno presente). Also in this case we don't know which game it was, but only that the game was composed of 14 cards. Lothar Tekemeier holds that those 14 figures were made so as to be combined with a traditional deck of four suits (swords, staves, cups, coins), and further, a fifth suit composed of triumphs. With this theory of his, called the 5 X 14, I find myself completely in accord, even more considering that the twenty triumphs of the more famous Visconti-Sforza deck, now preserved between the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York and the Academy Carrara in Bergamo, were drawn by two different artists, of whom the first created 14 triumphs and the second, 6, and moreover in a later period (the Devil card is lacking).

This means that the Ludus Triumphorum was initially formed by 14 allegories.

A further document from Ferrara dated on July 21st 1457, reports the following information: "Master Girardo de Andrea da Vicenza painter having today July 21st ...for havng painted two big Triumph card decks, 70 cards in each deck” (Maestro Girardo de Andrea da Vizenza dipintore de avere adi 21 de luglio ... de avere depinto para due de carte grande da trionfi, che sono carte 70 per zogo) which is to say 14 cards in each suit and 14 triumphs.

Andrea Vitali belongs at the side of Franco Pratesi to the most productive and qualified Italian writers in matters of early Tarot History. There was a problem with the translation of his articles to English language, and Michael S. Howard has in recent time done a great job to make these texts available to English readers.

***************

Persons closer to our discussions know, that the 5x14-theory has been expanded, meanwhile the idea is, that there were two major lines, one with 14 (which is part of the 5x14-theory) and another one with 16 trumps (this is considered to have been related to Chess), and this is called by us Chess-Tarot-theory. From the known surviving decks, the 14 trumps of the first artist of the Pierpont-Morgan-Bergamo Tarocchi are counted to the 5x14-theory, in contrast the Michelino deck, the Cary-Yale and the Charles VI are counted to the Chess Tarot theory (at least by me). As model this looks in the case of the Charles VI in this way ...

ch-small.jpg


... :) ... some laugh about it. But that's okay. A lot of people laughed about the 5x14-theory, too.
 

Huck

Esch-Revolution

This is about the work of Prof. Arnold Esch, who had made archival work in a 15th century Roman custom register. Between many other items there are also playing and Trionfi cards recorded, so this is of major interest to us. The article is given to Arnold and Doris Esch as cooperating authors.

The long expected Esch-paper has arrived.

One disappointment: it's only short, p. 41-53 of the Gutenbuch-Jahrbuch 2013.

It's a "Sonderdruck", which means, that they use it to advertise the complete book, I would assume. That just this chapter was chosen, is likely according the great interest, that we've shown in the work of Esch (so I assume). "Da schon ein erster Hinweis von der Spielkartenforschung aufmerksam aufgenommen worden ist ..." one reads near the beginning, and there's a footnote, that leads to Trionfi.com. Well, this is rather good, as this advertises "Spielkartenforschung", playing card research. I guess, that this Sonderdruck is distributed for free at the next book-fair in Frankfurt and at other opportunities.

But perhaps some have the next disappointment ... it's in German ... :)

Well, and the relevant content is mostly only very short.

But the revolution is, that there are again around 200% more Trionfi notes after the 200% more, which more or less were added by Franco Pratesi 2011/2012. And this, as it seems, for the period 1453-1465, so actually rather early.

This is glorious.

I didn't count very carefully. It's just a rough estimation. There are not only trionfi cards, but also playing cards.

Well, I've something to do in the moment.

Gutenberg-Jahrbuch 2013, 88. Jahrgang, Harrassowitz Verlag, Wiesbaden, ISBN 978-3-447-06198-8

I've to correct my earlier statement. It are + c. 100 new Trionfi deck notes, so the old number (that of yesterday) will be doubled.
 

Huck

More to the Esch report

There are 107 Trionfi documents in the Esch article, and one of these was already known to us (Giovanni da Pistoia, 1453), so it are 106 new Trionfi card documents from 1453-1465.

That's nearly the same number, as we had already before, either from old stuff or from the recent years since 2003 inclusive the big extension, which resulted mainly from Franco Pratesi's studies in the last two years.

So, simplified, the Esch article doubled our collection.

I looked in the web to discover something of the book. I found a description of the book-presentation ....
http://www.gutenberg-gesellschaft.de/einzelansicht0.html?&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=217&cHash=49ad29991ef63a2b9b04e5a396afcfe7

Außerdem markiert 2013 den Beginn einer neuen Reihe zu Buch-, Druck-, Papier- und Schriftmuseen. Eröffnet wird die Reihe von Alan Marshall, Präsident der Association of European Printing Museums mit einem Grußwort und einer Vorstellung des traditionsreichen Druckmuseums in Lyon.

Es folgen zehn Beiträge, die sich mit der Druckforschung im 15. und 16. Jahrhundert auseinandersetzen, darunter ein außergewöhnlicher Beitrag von Prof. Dr. Arnold und Dr. Doris Esch zur Frühgeschichte der Spielkarte in Rom sowie ein detaillierter Fachtext von Prof. Dr. Dieter Wuttke über die sogenannten Zierquadrangel, einer typografischen Besonderheit.

The article is the first of 10 in this category of the book, so at a selected position, and it is called "außergewöhnlich" (exceptional). The book is sponsored by the Gutenberg-Gesellschaft in cooperation with the Gutenberg-Museum in Mainz, and they spend some money for studies to the old printing industry. I remember, that I visited once the Museum. when in Mainz for a few hours, maybe in the late 1980's.

******************

The article is now a little bit analyzed, especially the Trionfi documents. The analysis looks this way (provisionally, I hope, the last errors are cleared) ...

first-analyze.jpg


The reported documents have specific states.

1. some documents contains something with cards, but not with Trionfi decks (these are not counted on the table (and are not part of the 107 Trionfi card documents), beside the years, in which the merchant was active with cards. In such a case "active" is written and a number in brackets () and the number tells how much documents testify the activity.

2. Some documents contain something with cards and with Trionfi cards. Then it is regarded as a Trionfi note and counted on the table.

3. Some documents contains only something about Trionfi cards. Then it is taken as Trionfi deck document and also counted on the table.

If it is a Trionfi document (as in the case of 2. or 3.), it might have the numbers of the related Trionfi decks and it might have a price (that what the custom official thought to be the correct price, mostly that of a group of cards; from such documents one might calculate the single deck price, but occasionally it's insecure or impossible).

From 107 documents 77 have a number of the related Trionfi decks (so roughly 72 %) and 21 have a price (so 20%), but not all documents with price tell, how much Trionfi decks were imported, and occasionally trionfi cards and other playing cards are contained both in the price, leaving insecurities in the calculation.

In the table the form ...
number#number#number#number
... is chosen. The first number tells, in how much Trionfi documents a merchant appeared in a given year. The second number gives, how much of these documents contained a number for the imported Trionfi decks, and the 3rd number tells, how much of these documents contained a price. The fourth number tells then the number of decks, as far this is really recorded (in 72% of the cases, the other are noted with "0"). So the final number, which is given as the "Total" (1831 decks between 1453-1465), is naturally not the true number of imported decks, but below this true number.

A way to calculate this true number would be 1831*107 / 77. which would lead to c. 2544, and would be based on the assumption, that the missing number could be replaced by the average number of the better documented decks. However, studying the documents in detail, it seems, that missing numbers likely more often indicate high numbers than low numbers, perhaps so that the true number of imported decks has to be searched between 3000 and 3500, but possibly 5000 is not totally impossible.
Naturally this number also can't include smuggled decks or decks, which went to Rome for other reasons in a free-of-charge mode.

There are 13 years recorded, of which 3.5 (1454, 1455, 1459 and the half of 1456) are missing at all. If I divide "2544 (low value) and 5000 (high value)" by "9.5 years ", I get roughly something like 270 - 540 for a year. As possible buyers for the decks we have in Rome naturally a lot of tourists and estimated 30.000 - 40.000 inhabitants.
Roughly I come to a 1% probability, that a Roman bought one Trionfi deck in a year (a deck, which went through the recording office), that's the highest value, it might be more probable, that it's lower.

Trionfi decks, so Esch, never came via ship, but always on the land way. Some of the more important merchants are recognized as "from Florence" or " importing Florentine goods". The major man is Pierozzo di ser Francesco (from Florence), who caused 27 documents (25%) and imported 42% of all recorded decks. 7 of 15 persons, which more than once appeared in these years with Trionfi decks, are either recognized persons of Florence or had goods of Florence.
Another recognized group of merchants are curiously Flemish, 2 are from "Brügge" or Brugia and another also from this region. These 3 appear often together in the office (which means, they likely had traveled together) and in this way this group seems to have belonged to 2 others, Bartholomeo de Nicolo and Johanni Tornieri (from these both no original location is reported).
Following the recorded Trionfi deck numbers of this 5-men-group (392+216++0+74+34 = 715) their total number is similar high as that from the trader Pierozzo (759).

Esch considers it as probable, that the decks of the 3 Flemish merchants were made of Flemish production, cause the things, that they imported, were mostly from their home land.

Well, in the relevant period Burgundy is on its height, then of some more importance as the struggling kingdom of England and perhaps even more important than France. A few years after the period Italy feared, that the troops of Charles the Bold would attack in Italy. Burgundian traders in Rome are therefore not so surprising, however, that they had something to do with Italian playing card development, seems a Novum.

It's well known, that Tournai (nowadays at the border France/Belgium) once had been a location with excessive playing card production since 1427 till mid of 16th century. Nowadays Cartamundi (Belgium) is a giant in playing card production.

One of the Trionfi.com hypotheses (though seldom discussed) is, that the decks fragments known with the name Guildhall and Goldschmidt (Kaplan I, p. 110 + 111) are a Belgian/French production, somehow connected to the presence of the later French king Louis XI in Genappe, Belgium, in the period 1456-61. Louis had been Dauphin then and ruled in the Dauphine in the neighborhood to Savoy , when his father, the king of France, tried to capture him (1456) and Louis escaped to the duke of Burgundy in protected exile. The wife of Filippo Maria Visconti (marriage 1427) had been an aunt of the wife of Louis, therefore Louis should have known well about Italian playing card habits.

The Goldschmidt cards include a card with a fish, and this fish is the heraldic sign of the Dauphine.

fishsmall.jpg


dauphine1.jpg


A painter of the Milanese court visited the painter Rogier van Weyden (himself "from Tournai") as a pupil on the suggestion of Bianca Maria Visconti, and then got a commission from Louis, while this had been still in Genappe in spring 1461. The case caused trouble, and Bianca Maria had to use good words to keep her painter in the workshop of van Weyden.
This was seen as the possible production date of Flemish decks in Milanese style ... earlier.

Now, from Esch's listings, we have for 1457 a note about a "cista picola con carte da jocare, trunfi" imported by Flemish merchant Loyski merciaro, and for Johanni Tornieri (who is not recognized as Flemish, but traveled occasionally with those, who are recognized as such) we have "1 paio trunfi, 4 doz. carte" already in 1456 .

With the name "Tornieri" we meet a riddle on the list, which I marked with red border on the table.
The last of all his 15 documents (inclusive those, which only contained playing cards) in 12 years (1452 - 1463) reads "20 doz. triunfi picholi" (estimated value by the custom official is 2.5 ducats). "doz." means "dozen", so if one counts here correctly this should have been 240 decks (20x12) for 2.5 ducats.

If the Roman ducat had been the normal Florentine ducat, this should be calculated 80 soldi x 2.5 = 200 Soldi and 200 Soldi divided by 240 decks, which makes 5/6 soldi = 10 denari for each deck, and this would be cheaper than the lowest priced normal decks in Florence (silk dealer lists) and far lower than the other Trionfi decks (as far I understand the Italian money at this time).

The cheapest Trionfi deck value, that I got from other calculations is also from 1463, Pierozzo di ser Francesco imports "4 doz. triunfi sensa oro" (estimated 3,9 ducats by the custom official).
4x12 = 48 and (3.9 / 48) x 80 = 6.5 Florentine soldi for each deck. Tornieri's "10 denari" for one deck is only c. 13% of this other cheapest price. The number of 240 Trionfi decks in one single import action hadn't been reached before, in 1461 I see once "7 doz." by Pierozzo and "6 doz, triumphi da jocare" and "6 doz. carte da giocare" (so totally 144 decks, but only 72 Trionfi decks) by Loyski, the Flemish merchant in 1462.

Then after 1463 (Tornieri's 240 Trionfi is the last playing card entry in 1463) interestingly the numbers show a break-down of the market.
1460 has 192 decks, 1461 has 247, 1462 has 212, 1463 thanks to the 240 decks of Tornieri at the end of the year (Christmas business ?) suddenly 522, 1464 has 70 (dramatic fall) and 1465 has 46.

Normally I would assume in such a case, that there is a reading error or a typo. However, if it gives other signs, and the observable breakdown of the market is a clear sign, then one must consider the possibility, that it's simply true, and one must consider, what it means.

From that, what is known from the silk dealer list (especially the production of Niccolò di Calvello) ...
http://trionfi.com/naibi-aquired#3-2
... we have, that the cheapest prices for playing card decks are then around 1 Soldi

Franco notes at this place:
This cardmaker, "Nicholo di Chalvelo fa i naibi", provides the greatest amount of cards, more than three thousand packs. His supplies are always on a dozen basis – in practice, card amounts that another maker provided in terms of packs, he was able to provide in terms of dozens. Apparently, he had developed a system of production that allowed him to supply most of the packs and at the smallest cost. Only in a couple of cases his cards are indicated as "di forma", but I imagine that all of them were produced with woodblocks (and possibly not even painted).
I don't know, how much cards these decks had, maybe 40-56. From this I calculated, that the cheapest possible Trionfi deck must be a little more than this price, or in the worst case at least for the double price (which would be 2 soldi).
Now is the time of Niccolo di Calvello (1442-1456) a little different from the observed time in the Esch article (1453-1465) and Esch observes (at least for the Trionfi decks), that the price is falling, perhaps also generally for cards (I speculate this only, I still have to check this). In Nicolo di Calvello's time the prices are relative constant.

The market for the silk dealer's time had the cheapest Trionfi decks for 9 soldi (paid from the silk dealer to the supplier, from silk dealer to user one might suspect 10-12 soldi) and had the character, that it aimed at persons with some money.

The Tornieri document looks like a price-breaker story. Tornieri (at least for that, what we can see) is innovative and destroys the former Trionfi business, offering a product for the lowest market, a product, which everybody could buy easily.
How this was possible, is his mystery.

It's plausible, that all other merchants didn't like the development. The 1463 document is the latest document from Tornieri in Rome. For Pierozzo, who had a well established market in Rome we have 2 Trionfi documents for 1464, one without numbers and one with 12 decks (that's very poor for him). In 1465 we have nothing from him, but we know from Esch, that he later continued the business.
From Tornieri it's the last appearance (so declares Esch). Also Bartholomeo di Nicolo disappears, the other person, who accompanied the Flemish merchants. In 1464 he's still recorded with 3 documents, totally 16 Triunfi decks and 2 dozen playing cards.

The name "Johanni Tornieri" sounds to me, as if it might have developed from "Johannes of Tournai".
I checked the name in the web. I found, that a bookseller and book producer in Rome with books about music (c. 1550 - 1591) had the name Giacomo Tornieri (which also is printing business, and for Johanni Tornieri one might suspect "also printing business"). Otherwise it's an established "Italian name" (often present in Verona, which has a nearness to Northern trading ways) and a location near Siena has or had the name.

Well, in the older theories I suspected a change of the market just for the period 1463-1466. This activity of Tornieri might belong to this hypothetical "change of the market", but it still is possible, that Esch's number is just a reading error or a typo.

******************

On the list there are marked in red the names "Giovanni da Pistoia", "Bartolomeo Seragli" and "Johanni de Domenico".
Giovanni da Pistoia was found by Franco Pratesi in Esch's book and he wrote this article:
1453 AN EARLY ARRIVAL OF TRIUMPHS INTO ROME
http://trionfi.com/triunfi-playing-cards-rome

Franco found Bartolomeo Seragli and his commissions to Filippo di Marco in an article of art research. Franco published ...
1453-1458 Florentine triumphs by Filippo di Marco
http://trionfi.com/filippo-di-marco

In this article two document sequences are of interest:

A [3]. Estranei 264, c. 226, left side
Bartolommeo di Paholo Seragli de’ dare...
E adì 10 di marzo [1452/53] f. otto, per lui a Pipo di Marcho portò contanti, sono per uno paio di trionfi richi ebe da lui. f. 8.

B [5] Estranei 264, c. 241, left side
Bartolomeo di Pagholo Seragli de’ dare...
E adì 21 di marzo f. uno largo, per lui a Filipo di Marcho dipintore, portò contanti, sono per parte di lavoro gli à fato. f.1 s.4.

C [6]. Estranei 265, c. 27, left side
Bartolomeo di Pagholo Serragli de’ dare…
E adì 31 di marzo [1453] f. 5 larghi, per lui a Filippo di Marcho dipintore, portò e’ detto contanti, sono per resto di 2 paia di trio[n]fi fatogli, come dise Ghaspare da Ghiaceto. f. 5 s. 18 d. 4.

I think, the 3 Trionfi documents report the production of two worthwhile Trionfi decks in March 1453 by Filippo di Marco, commissioned by Bartolomeo Seragli.

In the list of Esch we find for the year 1453 and for Bartolomeo Seragli the import note of "2 para triunfi da jocare".
So, I think, that the 2 decks, which were imported, were just the two decks, that Filippo di Marco produced and Bartolomeo Seragli commissioned.

The other passage of interest (same article) is here:
E [15]. Estranei 267, c. 98, left side
1455
Bartolomeo di Pagholo Seragli de’ dare…
E adì 6 di settembre f. due, per lui a Pipo dipintore, portò Giovanni di Domenicho contanti, per trionfi. f. 2.
….
E adì 20 detto f. uno, per lui a Pipo dipintore, portò Giovanni di Domenicho contanti, per trionfi. f. 1.

E adì 27 detto f. dua larghi, per lui a Pipo di Marcho dipintore, portò Giovanni di Domenicho contanti. f.2 s.6 d.7.
E adì 10 d’otobre f. uno largho, per lui a Filipo di Marcho dipintore, portò contanti, per un paio di trionfi operati. f.2 s.6 d.7.
….
E adì 21 detto, L. trenta, per lui a Filipo di Marcho dipintore, portò contanti: sono per resto di trionfi auti da lui insino a questo dì. f. 7 s.- d.8.

These are 5 documents, and I think, that all relate to the same activity in the year 1455 and the months of September/October (6th of September till 21st of October). Beside Pipo alias Filippo di Marco we also find note about a man called "Giovanni di Domenicho".
Earlier it was found, that this Giovanni de Domenicho should be the same man, who sold Trionfi decks to the silk dealers.

Franco (then unaware of the identity) had written:
Giovanni di Domenico
We only meet Giovanni di Domenico at the end of 1449 and he enters the records in an interesting way. He is at once indicated as dipintore, a painter, and his first supply contains both six packs of trionfi and eight packs of naibi doppi. At least one pack of trionfi had already been sold by the silk-dealers (January 1445)(1), but these seem to be the first packs recorded as acquired. The total price is 4L.18s. and if we assume that the naibi were priced at 4s. as those acquired a few days later, a unit cost of 11s. can be deduced for trionfi, a relatively low price, very similar to the 9s.6d. cost of naibi made by Antonio di Simone.
It seems that the production of Giovanni could substitute, trionfi apart, that of Antonio di Dino, at a similar level of overall quality, but he did not become a frequent supplier, except for a few trionfi. In alternative to Antonio di Dino, whom we find also later on, Matteo Ballerini was apparently preferred, for unknown reasons (maybe just more purchases of silks).

t-silk09.jpg


Well, this "Giovanni di Domenico" is the 3rd oldest Trionfi card artist, which we know by name (1. Michelino da Besozzo (Milan), 2. Jacopo Sagramoro (Ferrara), 3. Giovanni di Domenico, Florence).
He sold 6 Trionfi decks to the silk dealers for likely 11 soldi each in December 1449. In 1450 he is still the "only one name in Florence", in January 1451 "Antonio di Dino" appears as the second and "Antonio vochata il Chico" appears as the 3rd in November 1452.

Giovanni was active for the silk dealers till 1453.

Then in 1455 he's involved in the business of Seragli and Filippo di Marco, the role, which he plays in the production, is not clear by the documents. I interpret, that Giovanni di Domenico prepared woodcuts used for serial Trionfi card production and for this work he received money at 3 opportunities. All 5 documents don't tell anything about the number of the decks beside the 4th document, which speaks of one Trionfi deck (I interpret, that this is only the first deck, used to show and demonstrate the added colors; that's the first time, that Filippo gets some money in the working process) ... the highest sum is paid at the end of the commission (the number of produced decks is not mentioned).

Now we have the Esch report:
There's is no Trionfi card record in 1452 and for 1451 there are no registers for land imports. Registers for ship export exist only occasionally, Esch had two documents for 1428 (Franco Pratesi reported in ...

1428 – NAIBI COMING TO ROME
http://trionfi.com/evx-oldest-known-naibi-import-to-rome

...) and 10 further documents for 1444-46 and one document in 1451 with "tre ciste" full of cards, totally 57 dozen for estimated 24 ducats (57x12 = 684; 24/684 * 80 = 2.8 Soldi for each deck; the highest number in the known ship imports). Trionfi decks are missing in the ship imports generally.

The land import in 1452 knows not about Trionfi decks, and generally the number of imports is small. The ship imports show some traffic.
But twice Johanni de Domenico appears in Rome with totally 30 playing card decks.

In 1453 we've 3 documents of Trionfi decks, the two decks of Bartolomeo Seragli are the first in Rome (Folio number 54), the Johanni de Domenico merciaio is the second with "8 para carto cio è treunfi da jocare" (Folio number 76) for estimated 1.7 ducats. Franco interprets - himself not totally sure - that this means 8 complete Trionfi decks. This would mean (1.7/8) * 80 = 17 Florentine soldi for each deck

Third is Giovanni da Pistoia with 8 Triunfi decks in (Folio number 100). He also was already active with playing cards in 1452.

These are the 3 oldest Trionfi merchants in the Roman custom register.

Tornieri is already active with playing cards, and the Flemish Loyski and Cornelio have their first appearance in 1453.

I think, that one should assume, that Johanni de Domenico merciaio (active 1452-53)and Giovanni di Domenico nabaio (active 1449-53) and Giovanni di Domenicho (active 1455) are all the same man. There are not so much names in early Trionfi card business, and it's not plausible, that one appears twice, even if the combination of Giovanni and Domenico likely isn't rare.
Beside his activities as playing card producer Giovanni di Domenico is known as the father of the better known artist Francesco Botticini.

***************************************************************

I think, we got a big present from Arnold and Doris Esch with this article. Thank you.
 

Huck

A discussion of the Esch material is proceeded at ...

Thread "Esch-revolution"

in a Forum elsewhere.
Look for "Esch revolution" in Google and you'll find it.

*************************

Franco Pratesi follows further the lines of Minchiate, a new article presents statistical material about the card use at a casino in Pisa in the years 1691-1707.

From 4065 used card decks in 17 years ...

23-add-1.jpg


... 17,91% , so roughly 18 percent, of these card decks were Minchiate decks (no Tarocchi decks are recorded, these didn't exist in Toscana then).
"18 %" (based on far less decks) is far more than the usual production records, which Franco has collected for the years 1775-1787 and 1791 (around 9-10%), which already looked as a rather successful time for Minchiate (the latter value based on far more number material). However, insecure as this percentage number of 1691-1707 is (for instance it might be, that Minchiate had been just in Pisa more popular than elsewhere), there is at least the indication, that Minchiate had been in the Medici time more in use than later.

The relevant casino is here ...

23-palazzo.jpg


... it's not the impressive white building, but the smaller in red to the right. The white building, nowadays you get pizza there, had been a casino, which started in 1754. From this there are no records, but it's clear, that this building was already from Austrian times in Tuscany then. It was also a short lucky time between two big European wars, well, just the time, when the big Tarock explosion in Northern and other countries occurred (Germany, Austria etc.).

The Medici-time casino was this ...

23-gentil-4.jpg


... and the article is ...

1691-1707 – CARDS AT CASINO DEI GENTILUOMINI IN PISA
http://trionfi.com/evx-casino-dei-gentiluomini-pisa