Huck wrote: 02 Mar 2022, 05:23
MikeH made a note in the recent thread of the "Issy exhibition" about Imperatori cards for Ferrara made in Florence in 1432.
"We know that Imperatori decks were purchased from Florence by the d'Este court, in 1423 and 1432."
I only knew Imperatori cards for Ferrara made in Florence in the year 1423. So I asked MikeH about it.
MikeH realized, that he had had a number error, not 1432, but 1434...
Given the arms of a Florentine condottiero are on the oldest known mentioning of a deck of trionfi, its not that bold of a theory to say trionfi could provide an opportunity for propaganda for a given state. Given the presence of the Pope resident in Florence, Imperatori - versus trionfi - could hardly serve that purpose, especially as the belligerent was an imperial fief (Visconti Milan). I would view Imperatori as yet one more impetus to use the medium of cards for potential propaganda purposes, perhaps in addition to the Marziano deck if known in Florence (Bruni, for example, had plenty of connections to Milanese humanists so certainly probable), but could not serve as any kind of template.
Naturally the Holy Roman Empire could not be excluded from the worldview represented by trionfi, and the Emperor and Empress are duly included, but with no special status as Imperatori would obviously have "emperors."
Let me hypothesize further, and state Judgement would be the highest card in Florence to promote the Papacy (and Guelf Florence) over the Empire. The CY tellingly has Visconti imprese on the angels' trumpet flags - I would offer that is in response to the Florentine ur-tarot, which would have featured the Guelf flag (or even the lily) and perhaps the Judgement-appropriate crossed keys that emblazoned the papal standard such as we find on the Anghiari cassone. An imperial place of commission, I would argue, would instead place the "World" trump as the highest - at least in antagonistic Milan, modifying the Florentine creation, following it so quickly in time (arguably to celebrate the Peace of Cavriana and marriage of Visconti's daughter to Sforza, ostensibly tying him to employment for the Duke).
What warrants additional study for this proposal is the comparative Judgement and World cards in the imperial fief of Ferrara and the papal fief of Bologna. Of course there is no compelling "rule" to be followed, but why would each of those cities favor one trump over the next - Judgement or "World" - as the highest card? I think the "World" had a natural place as highest in terms of Aristotelian categories, as being the all-encompassing subject, but there are always mitigating local circumstances to be understood.
Phaeded
Attendolo-Sforza (behind the papal crossed-keys), Papal and Florentine standards at Anghiari
http://warfare.ihostfull.com/15/Battle_ ... centre.jpg