Three scarce Italian playing cards depicting England and Wales

Anonymous.

XII Inbghilterra. [&] Isole I. Inghilterra. [&] Isole 2. Inghilterra Nell' Oceano al Sud della Scozia.
Bologna: Tipografia de' Franceschi alla Colomba?, c.1790. Three playing cards, one engraved, the others letterpress, each sheet 115 x 60mm, with red woodcut design on reverse.

Slightly trimmed, as issued.

Three playing cards representing England and Wales, including a miniature map of the country on a tromp l'oeil scroll and two letterpress cards listing the provinces.
They are from a 78-card geographical game pack which was played with the same rules as tarocchi (tarot). The map was one of the 21 map trump cards; the others were from the suit 'Islands' (the other suits being 'North', 'South' & 'Central' Europe), with a court card with a woodcut armorial of the three lions.
The woodcut pattern on the back of the card is a red flower design with the address 'Alla Colomba' (At the Dove). This was the address of Tipografia de' Franceschi in Bologna from the 1790s until at least 1860.


Stock ID : 24235