Ancient Italian Tarot

[jupiter]

So, I really, really like this deck... the artwork is charming and the cardstock and card backs are dreamy. I have a major problem though, or shall I say MINOR?

 

How do you tell the bastoni/clubs from the spades/swords? They look SO similar!

At first glance I thought, okay, the swords have crests (which I hope is the correct term for this type of decoration) and the clubs have leaves - but then this:

 

2 of clubs - leaves

3 of clubs - crest

4 of clubs - leaves

5 of clubs - crest

6 of clubs - leaves

7 of clubs - crest

8 of clubs - leaves

9 of clubs - crest

10 of clubs - crest

 

2 of swords - crest

3 of swords - leaves

4 of swords - crest

5 of swords - sword and RIBBON 😫

6 of swords - crest

7 of swords - sword and ribbon again

8 of swords - crest

9 of swords - sword and ribbon

10 of swords - another swords and ribbon

 

Then I thought, some of the swords have ribbons, so maybe that's what sets them apart... but no, some of the clubs have ribbons, too 😳

 

Can anyone help me, where is the logic in this 😥 How do I know it's a 3 of clubs without looking to see what the 3 of swords looks like?

 

ETA; I already went all the way through this thread on AT and while it discusses a lot of different old Italian decks, there's not much actual info on the Ancient Italian Tarot. The minors weren't discussed at all.

Edited January 7, 2020 by jupiter

[gregory]

Which one do you mean ? I have one by that name where it's easy as the swords are curved - clearly that's not the deck you are talking about.

[jupiter]

4 minutes ago, gregory said:

Which one do you mean ? I have one by that name where it's easy as the swords are curved - clearly that's not the deck you are talking about.

I just took a photo of what I thought was the correct order, but now I'm doubting myself...?!

[jupiter]

So it's supposed to be ordered this way...? I see... the leaves and other decorative elements really threw me off. "leaves = clubs/wands" is so deeply engraved in my brain 😓

[gregory]

Yes. Spade are curved, bastoni aren't

[jupiter]

3 minutes ago, gregory said:

Yes. Spade are curved, bastoni aren't

… and in the end it's so simple. I feel like a prize idiot, can you tell I'm completely new to the TdM 🤣 Thank you so much, that was tremendously helpful – now I can SEE what I'm looking at!

[gregory]

 

Quote

Traditional North Italian playing cards, like the Tarot of Marseilles, distinguish batons from swords by the use of straight versus curved lines.

 

 

Any time !

[Raggydoll]

33 minutes ago, jupiter said:

… and in the end it's so simple. I feel like a prize idiot, can you tell I'm completely new to the TdM 🤣 Thank you so much, that was tremendously helpful – now I can SEE what I'm looking at!

I totally remember when I made that realization too. This was basically me 😁:

 

[jupiter]

52 minutes ago, Raggydoll said:

I totally remember when I made that realization too.

🤣 exactly!