![[Woodblocks for Tarot Cards], Four wooden matrices, carved for woodcut printing, corresponding to a complete tarot of 78 cards, 18th century. Probably Northern Italy.](https://artlogic-res.cloudinary.com/w_1600,h_1600,c_limit,f_auto,fl_lossy,q_auto/artlogicstorage/hsrarebooks/images/view/4b172fcec71f5ae64278e111ae30a030j/hsrarebooks-woodblocks-for-tarot-cards-four-wooden-matrices-carved-for-woodcut-printing-corresponding-to-a-complete-tarot-of-78-cards-18th-century.-probably-northern-italy..jpg)
![[Woodblocks for Tarot Cards], Four wooden matrices, carved for woodcut printing, corresponding to a complete tarot of 78 cards, 18th century. Probably Northern Italy.](https://artlogic-res.cloudinary.com/w_1600,h_1600,c_limit,f_auto,fl_lossy,q_auto/artlogicstorage/hsrarebooks/images/view/d0e1c5b277bf590bb5c88fd8cabe4a2fj/hsrarebooks-woodblocks-for-tarot-cards-four-wooden-matrices-carved-for-woodcut-printing-corresponding-to-a-complete-tarot-of-78-cards-18th-century.-probably-northern-italy..jpg)
![[Woodblocks for Tarot Cards], Four wooden matrices, carved for woodcut printing, corresponding to a complete tarot of 78 cards, 18th century. Probably Northern Italy.](https://artlogic-res.cloudinary.com/w_1600,h_1600,c_limit,f_auto,fl_lossy,q_auto/artlogicstorage/hsrarebooks/images/view/187b30179fdac88685bfd4b3732537fcj/hsrarebooks-woodblocks-for-tarot-cards-four-wooden-matrices-carved-for-woodcut-printing-corresponding-to-a-complete-tarot-of-78-cards-18th-century.-probably-northern-italy..jpg)
![[Woodblocks for Tarot Cards], Four wooden matrices, carved for woodcut printing, corresponding to a complete tarot of 78 cards, 18th century. Probably Northern Italy.](https://artlogic-res.cloudinary.com/w_1600,h_1600,c_limit,f_auto,fl_lossy,q_auto/artlogicstorage/hsrarebooks/images/view/6352b9577b23bc99e46b9f11a7f22b37j/hsrarebooks-woodblocks-for-tarot-cards-four-wooden-matrices-carved-for-woodcut-printing-corresponding-to-a-complete-tarot-of-78-cards-18th-century.-probably-northern-italy..jpg)
![[Woodblocks for Tarot Cards], Four wooden matrices, carved for woodcut printing, corresponding to a complete tarot of 78 cards, 18th century. Probably Northern Italy.](https://artlogic-res.cloudinary.com/w_1600,h_1600,c_limit,f_auto,fl_lossy,q_auto/artlogicstorage/hsrarebooks/images/view/040b4466c95df2d59b79586478b2c5dbj/hsrarebooks-woodblocks-for-tarot-cards-four-wooden-matrices-carved-for-woodcut-printing-corresponding-to-a-complete-tarot-of-78-cards-18th-century.-probably-northern-italy..jpg)
[Woodblocks for Tarot Cards]
A remarkable set of the four woodblocks used to print a deck of Tarot Cards, in Italian style, composed of 10 numbered cards (some with their value in Roman numerals) and 4 figures (identified at bottom). The trump cards, 0-21, also have their identification at the bottom (except the one corresponding to the 'death', as usual) and the numbering corresponding to each card at the top, also in Roman numerals (except for the madman, 'Le Fou', considered the precedent of the joker, which is unnumbered).
Further images
Measurements: 45 x 27,5 x 3 cm each. Wormholes throughout, treated professionally, some cracks and dents consistent with age, but overall in impressive condition.
In the opinion of the Fournier Playing Card Museum of Alava the cards correspond to the Italian style. Reviewing some decks in the museum's collection to try to identify the model to which the matrices could correspond, the museum indicated that they have similarities with some tarots decks dubbed 'Piedmontese' because of the hairy legs of the devil in card XV, or the 'tears' falling from the cloud of card XX, however, they mention that the numbering corresponds to the Tarot de Marseille, as indicated by the numbering of card XX, which corresponds to the Judgement, XXI 'Le Monde', and XVI 'La Maison Dieu'. The labels are in French, although this does not necessarily imply that they were made in France, as there are many examples of Italian playing cards from the 18th century with the inscriptions mainly in French (https://i-p-c-s.org/pattern/ps-3.html).
This deck therefore has characteristics of both models, which leads us to believe that it is an 18th century Northern Italian tarot deck, which retains many characteristics of the Tarot de Marseille and French labels (Cf. Edurne Martín Ibarraran, Arabako Fournier Karta Museoa Museo Fournier de Naipes de Álava).
Woodblocks like these would be used until they were either worn or damaged beyond repair, the case here, where significant cracks can be observed.
Bibliography and further information at:
- FournierMuseoaBibat.eus
- International Playing Card Society https://www.i-p-c-s.org/
- The World of Playing Cards" (https://www.wopc.co.uk/
Some examples of Tarot Cards:
IPCS #1 https://i-p-c-s.org/pattern/PS001.pdf
IPCS #2 https://i-p-c-s.org/pattern/PS002.pdf
IPCS #3 https://i-p-c-s.org/pattern/ps-3.html
Provenance: La Suite Subastas, Spain, ‘The Ambassador’ sale, private collection.
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