Tarocco Piemontese by Giovanni Rossi

Published December 13, 2022 Updated December 13, 2023

18th c. Piedmont Tarocchi by Giovanni Rossi, Turin.

Italy Rossi Tarot Tarocco Piedmont

An Italian-suited 78-card, single-ended Piemontese tarot pack produced by Giovanni Rossi, Turin, containing four suits of 14 (ace, king, queen, knight, jack and 2-10) plus 22 trumps. No turnover edges.

18th c. Piedmont Tarot by Giovanni Rossi, Turin. © The Trustees of the British Museum 18th c. Piedmont Tarot by Giovanni Rossi, Turin. © The Trustees of the British Museum

The courts and numeral cards

An inscription on the font-like ace of cups reads “Rossi Torino” on the 2 “Fabrica di Rossi in Torino”. On the aces of swords and clubs can be read “Rossi Gioni. conda. [?contra] dei Peliciai Porta No. 8 Torino”, and on the ace of coins “Rossi”. The names of the court cards and trumps are in Italian. The coins numeral cards (danari) have their values in the centre of each coin.

18th c. Piedmont Tarot by Giovanni Rossi, Turin. © The Trustees of the British Museum 18th c. Piedmont Tarot by Giovanni Rossi, Turin. © The Trustees of the British Museum 18th c. Piedmont Tarot by Giovanni Rossi, Turin. © The Trustees of the British Museum 18th c. Piedmont Tarot by Giovanni Rossi, Turin. © The Trustees of the British Museum

Above: Piedmont Tarot by Giovanni Rossi, Turin. 78 cards, hand-coloured woodcuts, backs printed with a check pattern in blue and white. 18th c. In original leather box lined with decorative paper. © The Trustees of the British Museum • Museum number 1896,0501.4

See the leather case

References

O’Donoghue, Freeman M: Catalogue of the collection of playing cards bequeathed by Lady Charlotte Schreiber, (Italian 21), Trustees of the British Museum, London, 1901 [digital version here]

avatar
1,479 Articles

By Simon Wintle

Member since February 01, 1996

Founder and editor of the World of Playing Cards since 1996. He is a former committee member of the IPCS and was graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal for many years. He has lived at various times in Chile, England and Wales and is currently living in Extremadura, Spain. Simon's first limited edition pack of playing cards was a replica of a seventeenth century traditional English pack, which he produced from woodblocks and stencils.

Related Articles

1910 Tarock Cards by NIL Spielkartenfabrik

Tarock Cards by NIL Spielkartenfabrik

A deck of tarock cards from the eastern end of the ending Austro-Hungarian Empire.

2019 Justice playing cards

Justice playing cards

Ethical concepts in a deck produced by Riccardo Conturbia’s Passione Playing Cards Ltd.

1897 Tarot hiéroglyphique égyptien

Tarot hiéroglyphique égyptien

The design of the cards draws inspiration from various religious and philosophical traditions merged...

1981 Alan Tarot Deck

Alan Tarot Deck

Reprint of a Tarock pack originally designed by Argio Orell for the Austrian Lloyd shipping company....

1975 Tarot Baraja Egipcia

Tarot Baraja Egipcia

Curious Tarot with Egyptian-style trumps issued by Franco Mora Ruiz from Mexico.

2021 Le Tarot de Sète

Le Tarot de Sète

Reinterpretation of the Tarot de Marseille by Julien Labat, an artist from Sète.

1990 Tarot Philatélique

Tarot Philatélique

Tarot game pack with French postage stamps on all the courts, aces and trumps.

1991 Il Tarocco del Mondo Nuovo

Il Tarocco del Mondo Nuovo

Imaginative Tarot card designs by Amerigo Folchi relating to Columbus and the New World.

1992 22 Artisti Liguri in 22 Arcani

22 Artisti Liguri in 22 Arcani

Collaborative set of major arcana devoted to Christopher Columbus and his voyages of discovery.

1992 Carte di Colombo

Carte di Colombo

Fully illustrated pack designed by Pier Canosa commemorating the 500th anniversary of the discovery ...

1975 The Tarot of Meditation – Yeager Tarot

The Tarot of Meditation – Yeager Tarot

Marty Yeager’s original Tarot of Meditation from 1975, republished later by U.S. Games Systems, Inc....

1987 Engel-Tarot

Engel-Tarot

Set of major arcana designed by Alois Hanslian depicting angels throughout.

1983 Carte di Natale

Carte di Natale

Designed by Pier Canosa as a Christmas pack for the Cortina Art Gallery in Milan.

1984 Tarot Actuel 1984

Tarot Actuel 1984

Major arcana to cut out, issued with the French magazine Actuel, using photographic images.

Lyon pattern made in Italy by Pietro de Santi

Lyon pattern made in Italy by Pietro de Santi

The Lyon pattern was initially developed in France during the 16th century. As Lyon was a trading hu...

1975 Mountain Dream Tarot

Mountain Dream Tarot

Groundbreaking Tarot created by Bea Nettles, using photographs and photo montage.