Favorite Visconti-Sforza Replacements and Why

Abrac

Debra said:
I have had both versions of the Lo Scarabeo deck--I like the 2002 better; they have a more authentic feel to me in terms of the composition of the image within the space of the card in relation to the other trumps.
This is true. I was thinking this exact thing just a few minutes ago. I like the artwork, but they don't really work very well with the others. The Devil might get a pass, but the Tower is too big and bulky and fills up almost the whole card. All the other trumps seem to have been specifically designed to call attention to the backgrounds.
 

Shade

Although the Meneghello looks to be the closest to the rest of the deck, I personally prefer the LS 2002 (still looking for a copy of that one). I prefer a more human devil to the monstrous ones depicted in the other cards.
 

gregory

Wow - I am learning loads here..... Scary ! I shall have to get them all out soon....
 

HearthCricket

gregory said:
Wow - I am learning loads here..... Scary ! I shall have to get them all out soon....

May I come over when you do so? Then you can lock me up in the attic and while I play, you can post... a lot! :D
 

Rosanne

small profile Atanas Atanasov.
http://artanas.net/PROFILE.HTM

Think he has made himself aging Devil although it is just as likely (more likely really) that Atanasov's Devil is Luigi Scapini...... })

Edited:Wrong profile for Luigi Scapini
~Rosanne
 

Abrac

Rosanne,

I re-read your first post and did a little research and I now see what you mean. The Il Meneghello Tower is Milanese and the Devil resembles the Milanese variety probably more than any of the others, though toned down quite a bit for this deck. All-in-all these two cards, while maybe not quite as 'exciting' as the others, probably do represent what the originals (if any) might have looked like. They don't seem to match Bembo's style very well though, but I can imagine them being somewhat similar. On the subject of originals, it doesn't seem unreasonable that they might have gotten lost or damaged, after all two of the minors have disappeared. But by the same token, no hand-painted Devils have ever surfaced either, which makes me wonder why.
 

Rosanne

Hi Abrac!
The words in Kaplan are odd.
Page 25 Vol II
The Pierpont Morgan-Bergamo Tarrochi pack contains seventy-four extant cards. Two traditional Major Arcana cards are not in the deck and two Minor Arcana are lost. The four cards lacking are........

But when Kaplan speaks about the Devil and the Tower card he says.....
....The reason that the two cards are not included in the Visconti and Visconti- Sforza groups is not known.

Then he goes on to give various explanations as to why maybe they are not there. None of these have my heart as to the truth except that to the Sforza/ Visconti families a Tower was the symbol of their power and lineage. The devil was eternal damnation- No city of God for them! I do not think they were there- therefore. In 11- 15 groups no example has been found. That is a pretty good idea given the different sizes and families that owned them. They absolutely would not have been destroyed- they were expensive.
Might have been hidden though. Like some so called 'Papist' icons- in the reforming times ahead. Number one thing is that they are 'celebration' decks apparently- given as gifts- I would imagine the two cards not very positive for that.

It is true that the Il Meneghello versions are not exciting :D- but they are accurate and in proportion to the rest of the deck. None of the cards that are replacements are like Bembo's work. I think they are the nearest in idea, as you say.

Interesting though!
~Rosanne
PS> It has crossed my mind that if children played with them - some little boys might have taken them as trophies- they would appeal- but in all of the groups that seems unlikely.
 

SolSionnach

Thanks for this thread... I think!
I just ordered the Il Meneghello Visconti-Sforza from Carte Karuta - Bob evidently has one more copy in the small size, and at least one in a large size (both from Meneghello)

It was E.X.P.E.N.S.I.V.E. I'm hoping that (like all the Meneghello decks) I'm wowed when I get it and v. happy with the purchase. :)
 

Le Fanu

Yep, for some reason the Meneghello V-Sforza deck is more expensive than the usual Meneghello decks at alida. Wonder why? Perhaps it´s bigger...
 

Rosanne

Abrac- How on 'exact topic' do you want to keep this thread? Do you want to stay with just these two cards- the replacements or wander around a bit? :D
As you can gather I love the topic.....and tend to overblow....
~Rosanne