Yale Center for British Art

Creator:

Visentini, Antonio, 1688-1782

Title:

[Biblical playing cards].

Published / Created:

[Italy] : [s.n.], [1748]

Physical Description:

52 cards : etching ; 100 x 55 mm.

Holdings:

Rare Books and Manuscripts
GV1235 .B53 1748 Flat
Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection

Copyright Status:

Classification:

Three-Dimensional Artifacts

Notes:

BAC: British Art Center copy lacks one card (the 'n' of hearts). Includes contemporary slip-case of blind-stamped leather.

BEIN ITA114: Imperfect: Lacking C, g, v, ai. On cards 105 x 60 mm. Hand colored. From the Cary Collection of Playing Cards.

BEIN ITA115: On cards 99 x 56 mm. Hand colored. From the Cary Collection of Playing Cards.

In the British Art Center copy, each suit is printed in a different color: circles (red), diamonds (blue), hearts (brown), and vases (green).

Title devised by cataloger.

Orbs, diamonds, hearts, vases suit system.

Type: Original design.

Composition of deck: 52 [A-NN, O-AE, a-nn, o-ai].

Hargrave, C.P. History of playing cards and bibliography of cards and gaming, p. 237, 242

Schreiber, C. Playing cards of various ages and countries, III, 143

Keller, W.B. Catalogue of the Cary Collection of Playing Cards in the Yale University Library, ITA114

Set of 52 biblical playing cards, in four suits: circles, diamonds, hearts, and vases. Each card illustrates an episode from the Old Testament and bears within the suit sign an emblem whose significance is explained in the text below the illustration. The texts are given in Italian and in Latin. The cards are not numbered but each is lettered with capital or lower-case letters.

The etchings are by Antonio Visentini, after Francesco Zuccarelli (the 'Y' of vases is inscribed: "F.Z. I. 1748. AVisentini sculp.")

Subject Terms:

Bible. O.T. -- Illustrations. | Card games -- Italy. | Bible games and puzzles. | Cary, Melbert B., Jr., 1892–1941 -- Ownership. | Cary, Mary Flagler -- Ownership.

Form/Genre:

Games -- Italy -- 1748. | Recreations -- Italy. | Playing cards -- Italy -- 1748. | Etchings -- 1748.

Contributors:

Zuccarelli, Francesco, 1702–1788, artist. | Cary Collection of Playing Cards (Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library)