Brown Dots On Ancient Tarots Of Bologna

thinbuddha

The deck insert is written in Itallian. From what I can piece together (and my Italian is *really* spotty) it seems as if there were different grades of decks in Bologna at the time, and "All' Aquila" was the highest grade. I don't have the insert in front of me. At some point, I'm going to Babel Fish the insert to see if I can't get a better idea what the back design might mean.
 

Abrac

I would be very interested in hearing whatever you do find out. My insert seems to have disappeared somewhere in the shuffle.
 

thinbuddha

Well, I did the babel fish translation:

The original Italian (without accent marks, bucause I have my limits) is here:

deck insert said:
La produziona di carte ha gioco in Italia nel 18 secolo e un pivilegio indiscusso della citta di Bologna e dei suoi numerosi stampatori che operarono sotto diverse Insegne di Fabbrica: ALL’AQUILA – AL MONDO – AL CIGNO – AL SOLDATO – ALLA COLOMBA – AL LEONE ECC.

Il privilegio e dovuto alla ottima qualita dei mazzi che ivi si stamparono nei tipi in uso per I diversi giochi: massa a semi francesi; a semi Italiani, CuCu, Tarocchino Bolognese, Tarocco classico e Minchiate.

La qualita e comprovata dal fatto che per quanto siano rari I mazzi del ‘700 quei pochi conservati sono per lo piu bolognesi, e spesso si sono ritrovati in diverse regioni italiane a dimostrazione di una forte diffusione ed esportazione.

Ch ne resto d’Italia stampava carte da gioco si preoccupava di fregiare il prodotto descrivendolo “all’uso Bolognese” per identificarne la buona fattura anche se malamente imitata, ed il tipo di lavorazione ossia con tre strati di carte e con I bordi rivoltati sul davanti, Sempre a Bologna si deve probabilmente l’introduziona su larga scala di retri piacevolmente figurati. In questa panoramica si inserisce il Tarocco di Giacomo ZONI (ALL’AQUILA) splendido esempio della produzione Bolognese settecentesca, di carattere popolare.

Babel Fish "translation":

Babel Fish said:
The produziona of papers century and a pivilegio indiscusso of the citta of Bologna and its numerous printers has game in Italy in the 18 who operated under various Standards of Factory: TO THE AQUILA - TO THE WORLD - TO THE SWAN - TO THE SOLDIER - TO THE DOVE - TO THE LION ETC. I privilege and had to the optimal one qualita of i bunch that ivi was printed in i types in use for the various games: mass to French seeds; to Italian seeds, CuCu, From Bologna Tarocchino, Tarocco classic and Minchiate. The proven qualita one and from the fact that for how much is rare the bunch of ` 700 those little conserved are for the piu from Bologna, and often they are strongly finds again in various Italian regions to demonstration of one spread and export to you. Ch of it rest of Italy printed papers from game was taken care of fregiare the product describing it "to the From Bologna use" in order to identify of the good invoice even if malamente imitated, and the type of working that is with three layers of papers and the edges turned to you on, Always to Bologna probably must the introduziona on wide scale of pleasantly figured backs. In this panoramic one the Tarocco di Giacomo becomes part ZONES (To the AQUILA) splendid example of the settecentesca From Bologna production, of popular character.
 

Moonbow

:bugeyed:

Can anyone help with the Italian here?
 

Abrac

I'm thinking ALL’AQUILA – AL MONDO – AL CIGNO – AL SOLDATO – ALLA COLOMBA – AL LEONE, etc. may be the names of actual card factories.

'Insegna' in Italian means 'sign,' and I'm guessing 'insegne' would be plural. The Latin 'insigne' means 'distinguishing mark.' 'Insegne di Fabbrica' would be 'factory names' in English. The opening paragraph seems to be explaining that there were a lot of card makers in Bologna in the 18th century operating numerous factories with different names.

"il Tarocco di Giacomo ZONI (ALL’AQUILA) splendido esempio della produzione Bolognese." This seems to be saying 'the Tarocco of Giocomo Zoni (of the ALL' AQUILA factory) is a splendid example of Bolognese card production.'
 

Ross G Caldwell

Just time for the first part this morning -

La produziona di carte ha gioco in Italia nel 18 secolo e un pivilegio indiscusso della citta di Bologna e dei suoi numerosi stampatori che operarono sotto diverse Insegne di Fabbrica: ALL’AQUILA – AL MONDO – AL CIGNO – AL SOLDATO – ALLA COLOMBA – AL LEONE ECC.

Il privilegio e dovuto alla ottima qualita dei mazzi che ivi si stamparono nei tipi in uso per I diversi giochi: massa a semi francesi; a semi Italiani, CuCu, Tarocchino Bolognese, Tarocco classico e Minchiate.

La qualita e comprovata dal fatto che per quanto siano rari I mazzi del ‘700 quei pochi conservati sono per lo piu bolognesi, e spesso si sono ritrovati in diverse regioni italiane a dimostrazione di una forte diffusione ed esportazione.

The production of playing cards in Italy in the 18th century was the undisputed privilege of the City of Bologna and its numerous printers, who worked under different trademarks:

The privilege was owed by the very high quality of the packs which were printed there, of types in use for different kinds of games: packs with French suits, Italian suits, CuCu [an Italian game in the far north of Italy], Bolognese tarocchi, "classical" tarocchi, and Minchiate.

The quality is corroborated by the fact that for how rare packs from the 1700s are, the few conserved are for the most part from Bologna, and that they are found in different regions of Italy demonstrates a strong diffusion and exportation.

Ross
 

DoctorArcanus

Chi ne resto d’Italia stampava carte da gioco si preoccupava di fregiare il prodotto descrivendolo “all’uso Bolognese” per identificarne la buona fattura anche se malamente imitata, ed il tipo di lavorazione ossia con tre strati di carte e con I bordi rivoltati sul davanti, Sempre a Bologna si deve probabilmente l’introduziona su larga scala di retri piacevolmente figurati. In questa panoramica si inserisce il Tarocco di Giacomo ZONI (ALL’AQUILA) splendido esempio della produzione Bolognese settecentesca, di carattere popolare.

Those that in other parts of Italy printed playing cards used to mark their products describing them as "in the Bologna style". In this way they described both the good quality of their decks (even when they were just a bad imitation of the original) and the kind of manufacturing: three layers of papers with the borders wrapped to the front. It is likely that also the introduction of card backs with pleasant figures is due to Bologna. In this area we can see the Tarocco by Giacomo ZONI (ALL’AQUILA) : a beautiful example of XVIII Centuy Bologna production, made for popular market.
 

Abrac

Ahh...excellent! So it's a trademark. Thank you Ross & Marco!
 

thinbuddha

DoctorArcanus said:
.....with a popular character.


Thanks all for the translations. Looks like the Italian insert doesn't say who that "popular" figure depicted on the card backs might be. I need to post a scan. Someone will recognize this person.
 

DoctorArcanus

thinbuddha said:
Thanks all for the translations. Looks like the Italian insert doesn't say who that "popular" figure depicted on the card backs might be. I need to post a scan. Someone will recognize this person.


Sorry ThinBuddha, my poor English strikes again :)

"carattere popolare" means that that particular deck had qualities that made it feasable for a popular market. Let's say "made for a popular market". I assume it was simple and not expensive.

Marco

PS: I edited my translation. I hope it's better now.