Domenego dicto Don Messore, Giovanni di Lazzaro, Bartolomeo Cartesana
composed by Lothar Teikemeier, last update 06.12.2012
First recorded Trionfi activity in Ferrara: 1454-02-05
First recorded Trionfi activity in Ferrara: 1454-09-06
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Dates of Trionfi card activities
- 1454-02-05 Ferrara - preparation of production of 11 decks by 3 artists
- 1454-05-22 Ferrara - summary of the work (11 decks)
- 1454-08-02 Ferrara - payment to Obizo the Saracen for material (11 decks)
- 1454-08-22 Ferrara - payment to Giovanni di Lazzaro (11 decks)
- 1454-09-06 Ferrara - payment to Giovanni di Lazzaro (11 decks)
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Sources
Sources for Trionfi cards in Ferrara are mainly taken from our
earlier collection at Trionfi.com based mainly on the work of Gherardo Ortalli and Adriano Franceschini, expressed in the article of Ortalli
"The Prince and the Playing Cards" (1996).
| SOURCE 1: Ferrara mass production 1454 - 1st document
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Ferrara Trionfi card production 1454/01
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| SOURCE 2: Ferrara mass production 1454 - 2nd document
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Ferrara Trionfi card production 1454/01
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| SOURCE 3: Ferrara mass production 1454 - 3rd document
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Quote from the earlier Trionfi notes collection of Trionfi.com (2003-07): Document 11 [old counting] / Ferrara production 1454/3. Naturally these older texts present not in all points my opinion of nowadays.
The new text here might contain some corrections against the earlier versions.
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Document 11 [old counting]
In 1454 three entries appear, which indicate, that a serial production of Trionfi cards had started
for a short time. The rate of produced
decks stayed humble, as far we can perceive it out of the few documents, and the experiment endured only few monthes.
The development, which seems to indicate the height of Ferrarese Trionfi interests, runs parallel to the peace of Lodi.
This entry relates to material, which is needed for the production.
1454 [3 August - payment to Obizo the Saracen for gold and silver leaf for trionfi and playing cards]
Obizo spiciale al Saraxino in Ferara de avere adi III de agosto lire tre, soldi quatro de marchesani per lo precio de infrascrite robe per dito date a dum Messore per dipinzere carte da trinoffi et da zugare per la guardaroba de lo Signore:
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Per peze zento de oro fino batudo
..
L. 2.10.
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Per peze zento de arzento batudo fino
L. 0. 8.
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Per onze una de verde azuro
L. 0. 6.
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Dato per mandato no. _____
L. III. IIII.
[Franceschini 1993 n. 728s (p. 414) ; Ortalli, 1996a: 163-169 (an
essay on the workshop run by Don Messore, begun in 1454); Ortalli
1996a:188] |
Preliminary translation
(by Ross Gregory Caldwell)
Obizo called the Saracen, in Ferrara, having the 3rd day of August three lire, four soldi marchesane for bringing the goods written below for said items to Don Messore for painting triumph cards and playing cards for the guardaroba of the Lord:
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For twenty sheets of fine beaten gold
.. L. 2. 10.
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For twenty sheets of fine beaten silver
.L. 0. 8.
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For one ounce of green-azure
L. 0. 6.
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Items by mandate no. _____
.L. III. IIII.
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| SOURCE 4: Ferrara mass production 1454 - 4th document document of 1459
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Quote from the earlier Trionfi notes collection of Trionfi.com (2003-07): Document 12 [old counting] / Ferrara production 1454/4. Naturally these older texts present not in all points my opinion of nowadays.
The new text here might contain some corrections against the earlier versions.
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Document 12 [old counting]
This entry also refers to the Trionfi manufacture. Interesting is the production time: Don Messore paints in ca. 80 days
7 decks and his helper Zohanne in the same time 4 decks.
1454 [22 August record of payment to Giovanni di Lazzaro (=Zohane/Giovanni Cagnolo) for work from 1 February to 20 April]
B(orsius) DUX
Illustrissime et excellentissime domine domine mi singularissime, Acio la Illustrissima et Ducale Signoria Vostra sapie cuomo Zohanne de Lazaro dipintore adimanda de volere esse pagato per lo tempo lui ha lavorato inseme cum dum Messore in la Corte vostra per fare carte da trionfi, prencipiando adi primo de febraro per fina da 20 de aprile de l'anno presente, et visto et examinado per mi Galeoto che dito Messore et dito Zohanne ΰnno fato conpido de tuto para undize de carte in dito tempo, che sono mixi dui et di XX, de le qual para XI mi ho limitado che dito Messore abie fato lavorero quanto sia per para sete de carte e dito Zohanne per para quatro, le qual para 4 fate per dito Zohanne a mi pare ge vigneria libre oto per zascuno paro; computΰ che siano fate attute sue spexe montaria in tuto
. L. 32.
[Franceschini 1995 App. 15; Ortalli 1996a:163-169 |
Preliminary translation
(by Ross Gregory Caldwell)
Borso DUKE
Most illustrious and excellent lord, most uniquely my lord, Acio to the most Illustrious and Ducal Your Lordship, knowing how Giovanni de Lazzaro, painter, had asked wanting to be paid for the time he has worked together with Don Messore in your Court making triumph cards, starting the first day of February and ending the 20th of April of the present year, and seen and examined by me Galeotto, which said Messore and said Giovanni have composed in all eleven packs of cards in said time, which are two months and 20 days, of which 11 packs I have
said Messore had made during that time seven packs of cards and said Giovanni four packs, which 4 packs made by said Giovanni (I have paid him?)
for each pack; the computation which being made of all his expenses amounts in total
L. 32.
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| SOURCE 5: Ferrara mass production - 5th document
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Quote from the earlier Trionfi notes collection of Trionfi.com (2003-07): Document 13 [old counting] / Ferrara 1454/5. Naturally these older texts present not in all points my opinion of nowadays.
The new text here might contain some corrections against the earlier versions.
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Document 13 [old counting]
This document refers to document 12 and the 32 Lira payment to Zohane or Giovanni di Lazzore. For unknown reason (living costs etc. ?) some money isn't paid.
1454 [6 September payment to Giovanni di Lazzaro (= Zohane / Giovanni Cagnolo)]
Zohane de Lazaro dipintore de avere lire 21, soldi 2 per resto de lo ammontare de para 4 de carte da trionfi lui ha fate a lire 8 per paro, fano lire 32, de le quale ne abate lire 8 per le spexe de bocha auto dala corte in mixi 2 e di 20, in ragione de lire 3 per mexe, e se abate lire 2, soldi 18 per colori lui ΰ (a)vuti per fare dite carte, che in tuto fano lire 10, soldi 18, che se abate de lire 32, resta lire 21, soldi 2
[Franceschini 1993 App. 31o (p. 849); Ortalli 1996a:163-169, esp. 164-165 and notes 6, 7 and 8.] |
Preliminary translation
(by Ross Gregory Caldwell)
Giovanni de Lazzaro, painter, having 21 lire, 2 soldi in money for the amount of 4 packs of triumph cards he had made at 8 lire per pack, resulting in 32 lire, of which was subtracted 8 lire for (his living expenses?) in the court during 2 months and 20 days, at the rate of 3 lire per month, and subtracting 2 lire, 18 soldi for his colours for making said cards, which in all equals 10 lire, 18 soldi, which subtracted from 32 lire, leaves 21 lire, 2 soldi
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Repeated Note:
When Ross Caldwell and me in 2003 started to collect Trionfi notes between 1442-1463, we had about 27/28 entries (which I nowadays would count as 31). The major part were the documents of Ferrara, which were collected by Gherardo Ortalli and Adriano Franceschini in the "Prince and the Playing Cards" (1996), after the base laying works of Michael Dummett and Stuart Kaplan around 1980. This collection included 2 notes about Trionfi cards in Florence, found by Franco Pratesi in his earlier work (allowances of the Trionfi game in 1450 and 1463). A graphical representation of this time (with 27 entries) shows the dominance of Ferrarese documents (in black) with a few notes only from other locations (in red; see picture to the right)
In the period 2004 till October 2011 it was possible to add 4 further notes (Siena 1452, Padova 1455, Ancona c. 1460 and Valerio Marcello c. 1460), mainly thanks to information given by Thierry Depaulis.
Franco Pratesi started his new article series in November 2011. Since then the list has gotten 67 new documents till September 2012 (65 of them found by Franco Pratesi, one, now the oldest of September 1440, by Thierry Depaulis, and another one by Veber Gulinelli, who controlled the earlier work of Franceschini and found an overlooked document) and nearly all are related to Florence or its surrounding.
A small book (118 pages) was published around Christmas 2012, Franco Pratesi: "Playing Card Trade in 15th Century Florence" as IPCS Paper No. 7 (ISSN 0305-2133). It contains some of the articles, which before had appeared at this website, those, which treat the early time of 15th century. Thierry Depaulis commented in his foreword: "This book is a landmark in the history of early playing cards in Italy".
Well, maybe not the book, but the research is clearly a landmark in various interests. For the collection of early Trionfi notes it somehow means, that we have within the year 2012 about 200 % more data for the period 1440-1462 than mankind had collected in the 200 years before.
Added later:
In August 2013 the new report of Arnold und Doris Esch: "Aus der Frόhgeschichte der Spielkarte. Der Import von carte da giocare und trionfi nach Rom." in Gutenberg Jahrbuch 2013, 88. Jahrgang, p. 41-53, arrived in our redaction. It contains 106 new references to Trionfi decks, which all were found in the customs registers of the city Rome for the period 1453-1465. With this the number of all earlier Trionfi cards records has been doubled and should have reached then c. 210 (from which a few are only considered to be "Trionfi card notes" and don't contain the word "Trionfi" or something similar).
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I'd started to sort the new Trionfi card documents overview in October 2012. Articles will be possibly changed according improvements in research.
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Old Overview about Trionfi Card documents in 2003
Overview about Trionfi Card documents in 2013
READ MORE
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