Sicilian playing cards by Antonio Monasta.

A modestly produced Italian pack rather than a luxury product: the woodcut designs are relatively simple and somewhat uneven, albeit in a style associated with Madrid ¹. The court figures are lightly drawn, with little attempt at elaborate shading or refinement, and the colouring is crudely done probably using fingertips. Nothing in the pack suggests the resources of a major publishing enterprise; rather a craft industry operating with limited capital and producing on a small scale.

During the seventeenth century, industry which lacked capitalisation did not advance beyond rudimentary artisanal production, compounded by the yet undeveloped market and low purchasing power of the population. The objective was not to create luxury artworks but durable gaming tools that ordinary people could afford. The quality should therefore be judged relative to their intended function and economic context. Despite their simplicity, the cards possess a directness and authenticity that vividly evoke the world of early modern gaming.

"Il Leon" Sicilian playing cards, 40-card pack based on Spanish designs, made in Sicily by Antonio Monasta, late 17th century. When the Spaniards occupied Sicily, licenses were given to local card makers to manufacture cards, hence the inscription on the two of swords reads "Con licenza del Rey N.S." The colouring is predominantly orange, green and yellow and rather crudely applied as though with the finger tips. The back papers turn over the front edges of the cards, a feature found in Italian cards but not Spanish ones. This pattern was replaced by the modern Sicilian type.

References

1. Pérez González, Alberto : Las barajas de Madrid, La Sota 44, October 2015, p.37.

Salvatore Bonaccorsi, Nicola De Giorgio, Emilia Maggio: The origins of the “Portuguese” suit system for playing cards and tarots in Sicily►