Mitelli-Barattini Tarocchino (1803) (Limited to 50 copies, telescopic box)

The Mitelli-Barattini Tarocchino (1803) is a limited edition of just 50 printed reproductions, authorized by the British Museum, which holds the only known survivingcopy of this exceptionally rare deck. Originally engraved by Francesco Barattini using woodblocks, the deck is itself a reinterpretation of the celebrated seventeenth-century Mitelli Tarocchino, commissioned by Luigi Leonardo Bentivoglio as a tribute to his ancestor's patronage of Mitelli's original work circa 1660. While Barattini's wood block technique yields less fine detail than Mitelli's copper-plate engravings, it lends theimagery a bold and expressive character all its own.

The deck features several notable departures from the Mitelli original, most strikingly the replacement of the traditional Popes and Emperors with four Moorish figures. The Ace of Coins bears Barattini's signature and a tribute to Mitelli, while the King of Coins carries an inscription crediting Bentivoglio's commission. The original cards were hand-colored by a skilled watercolorist, resulting in a refined and distinctive palette that has been carefully preserved in this restoration. Backgrounds were cleaned, surface dirt removed, and the missing pip cards reconstructed to complete the sequence.

A rare convergence of two legendary names in Italian tarot history, this edition is an exceptional addition to any serious collection of historical playing cards.