Gioco di Cuccagna (The Game of Cockaigne)
Hand-colored engraving on paper • Giuseppe Maria Mitelli (Italian, 1634–1718); lower right corner bears his name/initials and the date 1691.
Style & Movement
Italian Baroque (Bolognese School), specifically 'Stampe Popolari' or popular printmaking.
Medium & Technique
Engraving/etching with subsequent hand-applied watercolor or gouache washes. The technique utilizes fine cross-hatching to create volume, typical of late 17th-century regional printmaking.
Creation Period
Original design circa 1691 (dated in lower right); this specific piece likely an 18th or 19th-century strike or a high-quality historical reproduction.
Dimensions & Format
Approximately 40 x 55 cm; Landscape format.
Subject Description
A board game depicting various Italian regional delicacies (e.g., Mortadella from Bologna, Cheese from Piacenza, Broccoli from Naples). It features characters representing different cities associated with specific foods and dice combinations for gameplay. The central figure celebrates the 'Mortadelle di Bologna'.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Good. The paper shows mild undulating (cockling) probably due to humidity and framing pressure. Colors remain vibrant, suggesting recent coloring or limited light exposure.
Estimated Market Value
$800 - $1,500 USD (Assuming it is a later historical printing; an original 1691 first edition would be significantly higher).
Auction Estimate
$600 - $1,200 USD
Provenance History
Likely part of an Italian domestic collection; the frame appears to be a 20th-century mahogany-stained wooden frame.
Art Historical Significance
Mitelli is the most famous chronicler of everyday life and popular games in 17th-century Bologna. This work is culturally significant for documenting culinary history, regional stereotypes, and the social history of gambling and leisure in Early Modern Italy.
Notable Features
Includes specific dice roll instructions for each tile; mentions 'Gioco della Cuccagna' which refers to the mythical Land of Plenty; retains the original 1691 signature mark of Mitelli.
Condition Issues
Visible cockling of the paper support; possible slight yellowing of the paper consistent with age; frame has minor scuffs.
Conservation Recommendations
Remove from current frame to check for acidic backing; remount using acid-free materials and UV-protective museum glass to prevent fading of the hand-applied colors.