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Four scarce Italian playing cards depicting Norway

XIII Norwegia. [&] Nord IV. Norwegia. [&] Nord 9. Norwegia ha 5.[&] Nord 10. Norwegia ha 5.
Bologna: Tipografia de' Franceschi alla Colomba?, c.1790. Four playing cards, one engraved, one woodcut and letterpress and two letterpress, each sheet 115 x 60mm, with red woodcut design on reverse.
Stock #:  24246

£850.00

1 in stock

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Description

Four playing cards representing Norway, including a miniature map of the country on a tromp l'oeil scroll, a description with a woodblock armorial and two with lists of regional capital cities. They are from a 78-card geographical game pack which was played with the same rules as tarocchi (tarot). The map is one of the 21 map trump cards; the three others are from the suit 'North' (the other suits being 'Central' & 'South' Europe & 'Islands'), the card with the armorial being a court card. The woodcut pattern on the back of the card is a red flower design with the address 'Alla Colomba' (At the Dove). This was the address of Tipografia de' Franceschi in Bologna from the 1790s until at least 1860.

Condition:

Slightly trimmed, as issued.

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