Cult of Tarot Forum

I have the Sola Busca Lo Scarabeo Museum quality box.

On five triumphs the numbers of the cards are printed twice.

The double numbered cards are:

VI Sesto – Left bottom
X Venturio – Between the legs
XI Tulio- Left bottom
XIIII Bacho: Left Bottom
XV Metelo: Between shield and leg

I found a picture of Bocho in black and white (Les Musees de la ville de Paris) with only one number.
Carte du tarot "Sola-Busca", Bocho. (Passavant 14, tome 2, page 129)

Nicola di Maestro Antonio d'Ancona (Florence, en 1448 - Ancône, en 1511), graveur

Does anyone know how/when this double numbering appeared and what was the reason for it?
Does this doublle numbering appear also in other versions?

That's strange. Check out the Albideuter page on the Sola Busca. That's from Lo Scarabeo's 1995 version named I Tarocchi Illuminati or the Illuminating Ancient Tarots in the English release.

In that deck, VI Sesto, XI Tulio, and XIIII Bocho don't have double numberings, but X Venturio aand XV Metelo does. Weird.

The Bocho engraving on paper doesn't really help because it looks unfinished. Notice its almost blank shield.

After I look at my deck later I'd post an update.

Looking at video reviews of the Scarlet Imprint version and Berti's Rinascimiento, all of the five trumps in those decks have the double numbering. Now I really want to get to the bottom of this. Will be back in a short while.

Amoroso wrote: ↑20 Sep 2019, 19:39 That's strange. Check out the Albideuter page on the Sola Busca. That's from Lo Scarabeo's 1995 version named I Tarocchi Illuminati or the Illuminating Ancient Tarots in the English release.

In that deck, VI Sesto, XI Tulio, and XIIII Bocho don't have double numberings, but X Venturio aand XV Metelo does. Weird.

The Bocho engraving on paper doesn't really help because it looks unfinished. Notice its almost blank shield.

After I look at my deck later I'd post an update. AFAIK it's a faithful reproduction of the original deck so it should be definitive.

This illuminating set is really completely different than the museum kit. Colours differ; f.e. Panfilio's shield is not empty but marked.??

And look Mato:

Mato museum q.:



Mato enligthened


2 complete different Mato's..

I think you're correct there, Lucifall. The earlier LoS might have been redrawn, and couldn't have been the original art. I'll get back to you in a bit.

Amoroso wrote: ↑20 Sep 2019, 20:03 Looking at video reviews of the Scarlet Imprint version and Berti's Rinascimiento, all of the five trumps in those decks have the double numbering. Now I really want to get to the bottom of this. Will be back in a short while.

I thought i have a misprint: joepie!! But it seems to be all over.. pitty pitty

Really weird! Strangest thing is i googled on it and could not find anything about it.

The curse of the Sola Busca.. Lenpio's double vision runs wild
I smell a nice fiction story now...

Amoroso wrote: ↑20 Sep 2019, 20:23 I think you're correct there, Lucifall. The earlier LoS might have been redrawn, and couldn't have been the original art. I'll get back to you in a bit.

That redrawn really is a different world.
Certain details are just skipped.r..
No tale on the rope with three knots.
The headdress of Mato (MQ) is very very different (and much more panlike)
The whole bagpipe is pictured different.
A piece of wood (left foot Mato) has been changed into stone.
The number of stones differs..

Amoroso wrote: ↑20 Sep 2019, 20:03 Looking at video reviews of the Scarlet Imprint version and Berti's Rinascimiento, all of the five trumps in those decks have the double numbering.

Regarding the Museum Quality and the Scarlet Imprint versions, check out the official Facebook posts of their publishers here and here. Remember how both have the double numbering? Both say they're true to the actual cards in the Pinacoteca di Brera:

Today we reveal some cards from our Sola Busca Tarot, already available on our website. A faithful reproduction of one of the oldest tarot decks ever created, licensed by Pinacoteca di Brera, that features the highest quality images available.

The Scarlet Imprint edition is licensed by the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan and based on recent photographs of the original cards held by the gallery. It will be a faithful reproduction of the deck.

So it seems that the original cards (or at least those in the Brera which may amount to the same thing) did have the double numbering. The question is why.

To be honest, I now think that it may just be a marking or maybe even a printing quirk and may not have any esoteric or mystical import. It is interesting to note tho.

Amoroso wrote: ↑20 Sep 2019, 20:42

Amoroso wrote: ↑20 Sep 2019, 20:03 Looking at video reviews of the Scarlet Imprint version and Berti's Rinascimiento, all of the five trumps in those decks have the double numbering.

Regarding the Museum Quality and the Scarlet Imprint versions, check out the official Facebook posts of their publishers here and here. Remember how both have the double numbering? Both say they're true to the actual cards in the Pinacoteca di Brera:

Today we reveal some cards from our Sola Busca Tarot, already available on our website. A faithful reproduction of one of the oldest tarot decks ever created, licensed by Pinacoteca di Brera, that features the highest quality images available.

The Scarlet Imprint edition is licensed by the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan and based on recent photographs of the original cards held by the gallery. It will be a faithful reproduction of the deck.

So it seems that the original cards (or at least those in the Brera which may amount to the same thing) did have the double numbering. The question is why.

To be honest, I now think that it may just be a marking or maybe even a printing quirk and may not have any esoteric or mystical import. It is interesting to note tho.

Thank you so much!

The www is so great.. A video from the Pinacoreca di Brera / Sola Busca; the double numbering also appears on the cards in the museum.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9uf6qKzmlY

I keep it for a printing thing/mistake but are still wondering,