New book: Sabine Abele-Hipp, "Tarocchi: Spielerische Herrschaftsdemonstration der Herzöge von Mailand," 2022

1
New book, German language -

Sabine Abele-Hipp, Tarocchi: Spielerische Herrschaftsdemonstration der Herzöge von Mailand 1395-1500 ("Playful demonstration of power of the Dukes of Milan 1395-1500")(wbg Academic, 2022) ISBN 978-3-534-45024-4 https://www.wbg-wissenverbindet.de/shop ... er=1030902

Unfortunately the ebook version is only available in Germany and Switzerland. But real books are better, aren't they? This one has a book ribbon, too.
I just received my copy today, so I have not had much chance to look at it. I saw it advertised in the latest issue of The Playing Card, which also has an article by her in English - "The world of Filippo Maria Visconti - Studying the landscape on the World card of the Visconti di Modrone."

Abele-Hipp argues in her article that the World card shows an idealized view from lake Como, looking south to Milan in the center, and Genoa and the sea beyond. The figure on horseback is Filippo Maria himself, with the Biscione or Viper flag, of which she presents a high-resolution photograph obtained from the paper conservator at Yale, Marie-France Lemay (who was also at the conference at Issy-les-Moulineaux last March). I am convinced by her arguments here. She identifies the woman in heaven as the duke's mother, Caterina. I'll have to think about this, but it is plausible.

Back to the book, it is a comprehensive and mostly up-to-date work on the Visconti and Sforza cards, including a good discussion of Visconti and Sforza heraldry, and the historic context. Some of her dating and attributions are out of date, although in her discussion of the historiography of Tarot, she notes (page 28) the Issy conference and the catalogue, but says that it was published too late for her to incorporate the new information presented there. It would have been very useful to her.