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Burchiello
14 Figure

01  1442/1  Ferrara/Sagramoro
02  1442/2  Ferrara/Kids
03  1449/1  Marcello letter
04  1450/1  Ferrara/Sagramoro
05  1450/2  Florence
06  1450/3  Sforza letter
07  1451/1  Ferrara/Sagramoro
08  1452/1  Malatesta/Sforza
09  1454/1  Ferrara/Sagramoro
10  1454/2  Ferrara/Sagramoro
11  1454/3  Ferrara/production
12  1454/4  Ferrara/production
13  1454/5  Ferrara/production
14  1456/1  Ferrara/Trotti
15  1456/2  Ferrara/Sagramoro
16  1457/1  Ferrara/70 cards
17  1457/2  Ferrara/Vicenza
18  1458/1  Ferrara/Vicenza
19  1459/1  Ferrara/production
20  1459/2  Bologna
21  1460/1  Ferrara/Vicenza
22  1460/2  Ferrara/Vicenza
23  1460/3  Ferrara/Vicenza
24  1460/4  Ferrara/Vicenza
25  1460/5  Ferrara/Vicenza
26  1461/1  Ferrara/Vicenza
27  1463/1  Ferrara /Vicenza
28 Polismagna

Artist + Persons
References
The Name Trionfi
in Context with Playing Cards (1441 - 1463)

Document 01

This is the oldest known reference of the word "Trionfi" in context to card playing, the payment was done at the 10th of February 1442 short after the death of Niccolo III., perhaps the production was ordered already by the new Signore of Ferrara, Leonello (perhaps indicating, that such experiments couldn't have happened under the reignment of Niccolo). Another possibility might be, that the Cary-Yale deck really was produced in October 1441 at the occasion of the marriage of Francesco Sforza and Bianca Maria and that this action induced an interest at the Ferrarese court to participate at this "modern" way of playing.
The text notes the suits "cups", "swords", "coins" and "batons", which is missing in later entries of the Ferrarese account books. Perhaps this can be interpreted as a sign, that the whole composition of the deck is new in 1442. The price of 5 Lira per para (pack of cards) is equal to the salary for 2-3 monthes of work of a humble worker and around the 1/4 of a monthly income of a common noble man. Galioto de l'Asassino is the adminstrating person, he appears rather often till ca. 1457.
Compare our excessive article Ferrara 1441.

Leonello

1442 [10 February – payment to Iacomo de Sagramoro]:

Maistro Iacomo depentore dito Sagramoro de avere adi 10 fiebraro per sue merzede de avere cho(lo)rido e depento le chope e le spade e li dinari e li bastoni e tutte le figure de 4 para de chartexele da trionffi, e per farle de fora uno paro de rosse e 3 para de verde, chargate de tonditi fati a olio, le quale ave lo nostro Signore per suo uxo; tanssà I precii per Galioto de l'Asassino chamarlengo de lo prefato Signore de chomissione de lo Signore, in raxone de lire zinque per paro………………………………L. XX.

[Franceschini 1993 n. 481c (p. 221) ; Ortalli 1996b:184-5 and marginal note 5: page 185 contains a facsimile of the original text.]

Preliminary translation by Ross Gregory Caldwell

Maestro Jacomo, painter, called Sagramoro, having on the 10th of February for his recompense, for having coloured and painted the cups and the swords and the coins and batons and all the figures of 4 packs of small triumph cards, and for making of the backs one pack red and 3 packs green, decorated with roundels made in oil, which our Lord had for his use; deducted 1 precii by Galioto de l’Asassino chamberlain of the aforesaid Lord by commission of the Lord; at the rate of five lire per pack ........ L. XX.
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Caldwell / autorbis

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