Mercante in Fiera di Jacovitti
Traditional Italian card game with comic designs by Benito Jacovitti.
The traditional Italian card game Mercante in Fiera (in English, Merchant at the Fair) uses two packs of 40 cards, each with a different back colour or design. In this set, the famous Italian comic artist Benito Jacovitti (1923-1997) has created humorous, sometimes crazy designs, often playing on or distorting Italian words for comic effect. Each image is set against a strong background colour. The cards are numbered 1 to 40, each with a title in Italian. The accompanying rules are in Italian only. See the rules leaflet►
Above: ‘Mercante in Fiera di Jacovitti’ card game printed and published by Modiano, Trieste, Italy, c1975. 2 x 40 cards + leaflet with rules in Italian in tuck box. Size: 63.5 x 88 mm.
• See the box►
By Roddy Somerville
Member since May 31, 2022
Roddy started collecting stamps on his 8th birthday. In 1977 he joined the newly formed playing-card department at Stanley Gibbons in London before setting up his own business in Edinburgh four years later. His collecting interests include playing cards, postcards, stamps (especially playing cards on stamps) and sugar wrappers. He is a Past President of the Scottish Philatelic Society, a former Chairman of the IPCS, a Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards and Curator of the WCMPC’s collection of playing cards. He lives near Toulouse in France.
Trending Articles
Popular articles from the past 28 days
Related Articles
Woodblock and Stencil Jack of Hearts
A limited edition art print of the Jack of Hearts 1984 woodblock joker.
Woodblock and Stencil Joker
A limited edition art print of the 1984 woodblock joker.
Woodblock and Stencil Jack of Clubs
A limited edition art print of the Jack of Clubs 1984 woodblock joker.
Woodblock and Stencil King of Diamonds
A limited edition art print of the King of Diamonds 1984 woodblock joker.
Poker Lusso
Richly costumed courts on a luxury poker pack from Masenghini.
Club Soft Drinks
Promotional pack for Club soft drinks with amusing illustrations of different kinds of ‘club’.
Mit Rhino auftrumpfen
Black rhinos on a publicity pack for Armstrong, a flooring company, with comic designs by Pit Flick....
Marmite
Fifty-Four images celebrating a UK savoury spread, that has been around one hundred and twenty two y...
Pinocchio playing cards
Comic book drawings inspired by Carlo Collodi’s children’s classic, Pinocchio.
Le Ore playing cards
Caricatures of famous personalities from the late 1970s for the Italian magazine Le Ore.
Carte Romantiche Italiane
Scenes of life and the theatre in Milan towards the second half of the 19th century.
Guanlangaoshou / Slam Dunk playing cards
Basketball-themed manga animated playing cards from Japan.
Le Jeu des Musiciens
Artist Silvia Maddonni’s gently humorous take on musicians and their instruments.
Lo Stampatore
‘Lo Stampatore’ linocut images created by Sergio Favret, published as a deck of cards by Editions So...
Transair
Humorous designs promoting Transair, a German charter flight operator.
Leonardo collection
Leonardo collection playing cards with drawings from his notebooks.
Lo Cartescacco / Chess playing cards
Playing cards designed by F. Romagnoli bringing together Chess and Bridge, Italy, c. 1981.
Hansaplast®
Advertising pack for Hansaplast, with comic courts sporting sticking plasters.
Bibaraja
Amusing designs of boys as circus performers by Alberto Muñiz Sánchez.
Il Vostro Destino
Italian fortune-telling pack produced by Viassone and later by Masenghini.
San Paolo Shakespeare
San Paolo Shakespeare, Italy, 1978
Le Carte di Forattini
Political caricatures by Giorgio Forattini published by Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, Italy, 1993.
San Paolo Chekhov
Characters from Chekhov’s plays designed by Paolo Fresu for San Paolo Istituto Bancario, Italy, c.19...
Storia del Fascismo - gioco di carte
‘Storia del Fascismo’ playing cards depicting persons, symbols and artifacts associated with Italian...
Jeu des Médecins
Cartoons of doctors and nurses by Pino Zac, published by B.P. Grimaud in 1983.
The Lovers playing cards
Reproductions of old postcards with romantic messages for Valentine’s Day.
I Gatti Originali di Evelyne Nicod
Etchings of cats on a set of major arcana created by Evelyne Nicod.
Politicards 2016 & Politikids 2016
Politicards™ 2016 & Politikids 2016: twin decks of satirical playing cards produced by Peter Green f...
Carte Osteologiche
Skulls and bones of all descriptions have become the suits and pips in this 40-card pack from Italy....
Marcello Morandini
Modern designs by Italian artist Marcello Morandini using the simplest of forms and colours.
Politicards 2008
Politicards ’08 with caricatures cast as characters from classic movies, USA.
Orientierungslauf Skat
Humorous designs by Helmut Härtelt on the subject of orienteering.
Politically Wild John McCain
“Politically Wild John McCain” published by Newt’s Playing Cards, USA, 2008.
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! playing cards
Strange facts from Robert Ripley’s ‘Believe It or Not’ books, in the form of cartoons.
Politicards 2004
Politicards 2004 with satirical cartoons by the award-winning illustrator Peter Green, USA.
Politicards 1971
Politicards 1971 for the presidential election in which Richard Nixon won a landslide victory.
Politicards 1984
Politicards 1984 with caricatures by Donald Gates, published by the Kamber Group, USA.
Tottering-by-Gently
‘Tottering-by-Gently’ playing cards with cartoons by Annie Tempest.
Keep-em honest playing cards
Keep-em honest playing cards designed by Chris Cooper and published by Dark Horse Deluxe.
Storia del Fascismo
Published by Il Meneghello, this pack provides a visual history of Fascism in Italy between 1919 and...
Jack-O’-Lantern Tarot
Giuliano Costa's Jack-O’-Lantern tarot blends Rider-Waite symbolism with the rich and atmospheric th...
Tarot of the Unknown
Inspired by the Halloween Cartoon “Over the Garden Wall”.
Schwarze Katze (or Gioco del Gatto Nero)
Reproduction of a 40-card transformation pack with designs by “WS”, adapted for the game of Black Ca...
Hot-Air Balloons & Co.
Hot-air balloons and airships from the early days to 1988, with designs by S. Baraldi and F. Tacconi...