Taroquis ‘Obelisco’
78-card 'Taroquis Marca Obelisco' published by Mario Colombo, Buenos Aires, during the 1950s, 60s & 70s, in the style known as "Tarocco Piemontese" which had been developed by Italian cardmakers during the nineteenth century.
TAROQUIS ‘MARCA OBELISCO’
by Mario Colombo, Rodriguez Peña 335, Bs As
Above: Taroquis ‘MARCA OBELISCO’ published by Mario Colombo, Buenos Aires, during the 1950s. 78 cards in box. The four of cups has a 'Mercury' tax stamp and red lettering. Compare this with the card immediately beneath.
Above: Taroquis ‘MARCA OBELISCO’ published by Mario Colombo, Buenos Aires, during the 1960s, in the style known as "Tarocco Piemontese" which had been developed by Italian cardmakers during the nineteenth century. Similar Piemontese tarot packs had already been produced in Buenos Aires during the early 1900s by Fabrica de Naipes La Primitiva, and another Tarok pack with Spanish inscriptions was published by Cappellano S.A. in the 1970s. Only the packs published by Mario Colombo have the title ‘MARCA OBELISCO’.
The decks are printed in black/red/yellow only on cheap-grade card. The reverse has a pattern of small black diamonds forming a trellis. Size: 64 mms x 107 mms.
Left: The Obelisk, as shown on the ace of coins (above), was built in 1936 in commemoration of the first founding of the city. It is located in Avenida Nueve de Julio in Buenos Aires.
Mario Colombo also produced "Naipes Obelisco" directly copied from the designs of John Waddington (England).
See also: Argentinean Tarocco • Book of Fate • Cartas Blancas • Cartas Gitanas • Cartomancy & Divination Cards • Edyta Gdek Tarot • 17th Century Fortune-Telling Cards • 72 Names Cards • Geistliche Karten, 1718 • German Fortune Telling cards, c.1818 • Grapho-Deck • Jason Ennis Tarot • Minchiate • Mlle Lenormand Cartomancy • Naipes Tu Destino • Picture Book of Ana Cortez • Picture Show Zodiac Fortune Telling Cards • Rameses Fortune-telling cards • Ramses II Tarot • Self-Nurturing Solitaire • Tarocco Bolognese • Tarocco Piemontesi • Tarot Egipcios Kier • Welsh Tarot • Tarot
Above: Taroquis ‘MARCA OBELISCO’ published by Mario Colombo, Buenos Aires, during the 1970s. The cards have square corners and are printed on paper.
By Simon Wintle
Member since February 01, 1996
View ArticlesCurator and editor of the World of Playing Cards since 1996.
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