Tarot of the Master
I Naibi di Giovanni Vacchetta
Tarocchi del Maestro
Meister-Tarot
Tarot del Maestro
Tarot du Maître
Vachetta
Historical
78 cards plus a title card and an advertising card. Packaged with an instructional foldout, in a standard cardboard tuck box.
Cards are 12 cm tall x 6.5 cm wide.
Card stock is durable yet flexible, with a smooth matte finish.
Backs are non-reversible.
Part of the Tarocchi d'Arte series by Lo Scarabeo.
Strengh (La Forza) is 11 and Justice (La Guistisia) is 8.
Suits are Denari (coins), Spade (swords), Coppe (cups), and Bastoni (batons or wands).
Courts are Fante, Caval, Regina, and Re.
The card titles are part of the original border art, and are in Italian. In addition to the titles, keywords in five languages appear along the left-hand border of each card. These were added specifically for this edition, and were not part of the original I Naibi di Giovanni Vacchetta tarot.
Giovanni Vacchetta created the original art for this deck in 1893 in Turin. The colors -- complete with age spots -- for this 2002 edition were done by Michela Gaudenzi.
The majors and court cards are fully scenic. The minor arcana are beautifully and richly illustrated, and far more detailed than the minors of a TdM deck -- however, they do not feature people, and are not scenic.
The majors show some definite TdM influences, but this really isn't a TdM -- it's unique and, in my opinion, truly amazing and worth seeking out by any collector.
Vacchetta, Giovanni (original art)
Gaudenzi, Michela (coloring)
Lo Scarabeo
2002
78 cards
Italian
Multi-lingual
Historical
0-7387-0236-6
Fey Tarot
Fey
Fairies
78 cards + a title card + an advertising card with a LWB in a cardboard tuck box. <br /><br />Cards measure 12 cm tall x 6.6 cm wide. The card stock is very flexible with a smooth, semi-matte finish. This deck could be easily riffle-shuffled without damage. <br /><br />The card back design is fully reversible. <br /><br />Strength is VIII and Justice is XI. The Fool is numbered 0. <br /><br />Suits are Chalices, Pentacles, Wands, and Swords. The court cards are Knave, Knight, Queen, and King. <br /><br />The minor arcana are scenic in the RWS tradition, though this deck is not a clone. <br /><br />As is common in many Lo Scarabeo decks, the cards titles are multi-lingual. The English titles are printed at the tops of the cards, with titles in 4 additional languages (Italian, Spanish, French, and German) appearing along the bottom borders. <br /><br />On a personal note, though I disliked this deck in the years after it was first published, I've warmed to it now. Looking back at it for the first time in years, I'm struck by how talented the artist is, and how consistent this deck is. There are many fey and fairy-themed decks out there, but few are as original and readable as this one. <br /><br />A note about the publication date: I've found two different dates of publication for this deck in various sources online: 2002 and 2004. On the back of the LWB, the copyright date is given as 2002, but I suspect that <strong>either</strong> the 78 card, mass-market release of the deck did not take place until 2004 <strong>or</strong> that there were 2 different printings. <br /><br />I don't have documented proof of this, but I was just starting to collect tarot decks in 2005, and I remember a lot of buzz and conversation about this deck, as if it had only recently been released. A 2004 release checks out with what was normally the pattern of distribution for LS decks -- that a new deck would be available in European markets first, and then available in the U.S. about 6 to 9 months later.<br /><br />On the other hand, Diane Wilkes of Tarot Passages <a href="http://www.tarotpassages.com/fey.htm" target="_blank" title="Tarot Passages - Fey Tarot" rel="noreferrer noopener">very clearly notes</a> that this was a 2002 release.
Aghem, Mara (artist)
Minetti, Riccardo (author)
Lo Scarabeo
2002 / 2004
78 cards
Multilingual
RWS
ISBN 978-0738706528
Nefertari's Tarots
Nefertari Tarot
Egypt, Ancient
<span>78 cards + a title card and an advertising card + an LWB in a standard cardboard tuck box. The box has the same gold foil stamping as the cards.</span><br /><br /><span>Cards measure 12 cm tall x 6.6 cm wide. The card stock is smooth and very flexible. <br /><br />The cards are embellished with gold foil stamping, which doesn't show up well on the scans, but is stunning in person. The aged/worn look is an intentional part of the art, not actual wear and tear.<br /><br />The gold stamping is not stiff at all, and does not flake or chip when handled.<br /></span><br />The card backs are fully reversible.<br /><br />Justice is 8 and Strength is 11. The Fool is numbered 0.<br /><br />The suits are Chalices, Pentacles, Wands, and Swords. The court cards are Knave, Knight, Queen, and King.<br /><br />The minor arcana are scenic and (mostly) follow the RWS tradition.
Alasia, Silvana (artist)
Alligo, Pietro (graphics and layout)
Lo Scarabeo
© 2007
78 cards
Multiple languages
RWS
ISBN 978-0738700205
Lost Code of Tarot
Occult codes
80 cards + a 158 page softcover guidebook in a sturdy, hinged cardboard set box with a magnetic closure.<br /><br />The deck includes the usual 78 cards, plus two additional cards, one placed at the start of the deck and one at the end, which are not named, numbered, or explained.<br /><br />The cards measure 12 cm tall x 6.6 cm wide. <br /><br />The cards have a lightly glossy finish. The cardstock is sub-standard, and could be damaged if riffle-shuffled. It's just a bit too stiff, and without adequate flexiblility.<br /><br />The card backs are completely reversible. <br /><br />None of the cards are given titles or numbers in a tradtional sense, though it is possible to discern which card is which. <br /><br />Markings on the major arcana do a fair job of mimicking roman numerals. Justice is 8 and Strength is 11. The Fool is 0. <br /><br />The suits aren't named, but they are represented by symbols of Cups, Dragons (curled into circles), Clubs, and Swords. Likewise, the court cards aren't titled, but seem to be the usual Page, Knight, Queen, and King.<br /><br />The minor arcana are decorative pips.<br /><br />The companion book, <em>The Book of Shadows: The Lost Code of the Tarot</em>, is a cross between a decoding aid and a book of shadows -- it doesn't offer a traditional guide to identifying and reading the cards.<br /><br />The set box adds to the overall mysterious air, in that it is all black (albeit with some decoration), and has no identifying information on it.<br /><br />This set was initially marketed and funded through a Kickstarter campaign that launched in 2015; I was a backer at the $45 level (for one copy of the deck and book set). The deck and book are also related to a film project by Andrea Aste.<br /><br /><strong>Note</strong>: The copyright date listed on the rear title page in the companion book is 2015; however, information online about the set frequently gives a date of 2016. This may be a simple difference between the copyright year and the year of distribution.
Aste, Andrea
<a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1769110239/the-book-of-shadows-the-lost-code-of-the-tarot/description" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Book of Shadows: Lost Code of Tarot -- Kickstarter campaign</a>
Lo Scarabeo
© 2015 / 2016
80 cards
English
Other
ISBN 978-0738749815
Mantegna Tarot
Historical tarot
Despite its name, the Mantegna deck is not a true tarot, and does not have traditional suits, major arcana, or court cards. <br /><br />It consists of 50 cards divided into 5 classes (E through A) of 10 cards each.<br /><ul><li>Class E: Human Conditions</li>
<li>Class D: Apollo and the Muses</li>
<li>Class C: Arts and Sciences</li>
<li>Class B: Genuises and Virtues</li>
<li>Class A: Planets and Celestial Spheres</li>
</ul>
In this set from Lo Scarabeo, there are also 25 additional cards containing multi-lingual interpretations, as well as 3 cards offering divination guidance (in 6 different languages). A title card and advertising card are also included, as is standard with most LS decks.<br /><br />This deck is accompanied by a fold-out guide (not quite a full LWB) that explains some background to the Mantegna, then provides directions for laying out a complex game of divinatory solitaire. I haven't tried it, but it looks interesting; the directions are too complex to relay here.<br /><br />The box is the standard LS cardboard tuckbox format, but with added silver stamping embellishment. <br /><br />The cards measure 12 cm tall x 6.6 cm wide.<br /><br />The card stock is smooth and flexible, with a matte finish. The cards feature silver metallic stamping that is truly beautiful in person. It makes the deck look and feel luxurious.<br /><br />The card back design is fully reversible.<br /><br />No artist's or designer's name is given on the box, but the fold-out guide credits Atanas Atanassov with this redesign of the historical deck.<br /><br />For background on the Mantegna, see:<br /><br /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantegna_Tarocchi" target="_blank" title="Mantegna Tarocchi (Wikipedia)" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mantegna Tarocchi (Wikipedia)</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.alchemywebsite.com/mantegna.html" target="_blank" title="Article by Adam McLean on the Mantegna's origins" rel="noreferrer noopener">"An Hermetic Origin of the Tarot Cards? A Consideration of the Tarocchi of Mantegna" by Adam McLean</a>
Atanassov, Atanas A.
Lo Scarabeo
© 2000
50 cards (plus 25 interpretation cards)
Multilingual
Historical
978-0738700915
Bosch Tarot
Hieronymus Bosch
Fine art
78 cards + a title card and an advertising card + an LWB in a standard cardboard tuck box.<br /><br /><span>Cards measure 12 cm tall x 6.6 cm wide. The card stock is very flexible, with a smooth, mostly-matte finish. This deck could easily be riffle-shuffled.</span><br /><br />The card backs have a reversible design.<br /><br />Justice is VIII and Strength is XI. The Fool is numbered 0. <br /><br />Suits are Chalices, Pentacles, Wands, and Swords. The court cards are Knave, Knight, Queen, and King.<br /><br />The minor arcana are somewhere on the continuum between "decoratively illustrated" and fully scenic; they are definitely not scenic in the RWS style, though a handful of the cards give a nod to the RWS.<br /><br />If I was going to read with this deck, I might find it easiest to ascribe TdM meanings to the cards.<br /><br />As an art deck, this tarot succeeds on both counts -- as a work of art (and homage to Bosch) as well as a functional divinatory tool.
Atanassov, Atanas A.
Lo Scarabeo
© 2004
78 cards
Multiple languages
Mixed
ISBN 888395136-0
Golden Botticelli Tarot
Fine art
Italian art--Sandro Botticelli
78 cards + a title card and an advertising card + an LWB in a standard cardboard tuck box.<br /><br /><span>Cards measure 12 cm tall x 6.6 cm wide. The card stock is very flexible, with a smooth, mostly-matte finish. This deck could easily be riffle-shuffled.<br /><br />The card back design is reversible.<br /><br />Justice is VIII and Strength is XI. The Fool is numbered 0.<br /><br />Suits are Chalices, Wands, Swords, and Pentacles. The court cards are Knave, Knight, Queen, and King.<br /><br />The minor arcana are scenic and follow the RWS style.<br /><br />The gold foil embellishment on these cards is astoundingly beautiful; the scans don't do it justice. And the art stands on its own as magnificent, as well. This is among my favorite decks published by Lo Scarabeo.</span>
Atanassov, Atanas A.
Lo Scarabeo
© 2007
78 cards
Multiple languages
RWS
ISBN 978-0738712314
Golden Tarot of Klimt
Art--Gustav Klimt
Fine art
78 cards + a title card and an advertising card + an LWB in a standard cardboard tuck box.<br /><br /><span>Cards measure 12 cm tall x 6.6 cm wide. The card stock is very flexible, with a mostly-matte finish. This deck could easily be riffle-shuffled.<br /><br />The card back design is reversible.<br /><br />Justice is VIII and Strength is XI. The Fool is numbered 0.<br /><br />Suits are Chalices, Wands, Swords, and Pentacles. The court cards are Knave, Knight, Queen, and King.<br /><br />The minor arcana are scenic and follow the RWS tradition to a large extent, though there are limitations given the deck's theme and artisitic style.<br /><br />The gold foil embellishment on these cards is visually stunning; the scans don't do it justice. And the art stands on its own as brilliant, even if the cards had not been gold stamped. I've yet to run into a deck from artist Atanas A. Atanssov that I didn't love.<br /></span>
Atanassov, Atanas A.
Lo Scarabeo
© 2005
78 cards
Multilingual
RWS
ISBN 073870790-2
Golden Tarot of the Tsar
Eastern and Russian Orthodox Christianity
Byzantine and Russian iconography
78 cards + a title card and an advertising card + an LWB in a standard cardboard tuck box.<br /><br /><span>Cards measure 12 cm tall x 6.6 cm wide. The card stock is very flexible, with a matte finish and extensive gold foil stamping. This deck could easily be riffle-shuffled.<br /><br />The card back design is reversible.<br /><br />Each card is aligned with a figure or event from Eastern Orthodox Christianity and Biblical history. Justice is VIII depicts the Archangel Michael. Strength is XI and depicts Saint George and the dragon. The Fool, depicting the possession of Gerasa, is numbered 0.<br /><br />Suits are Chalices, Wands, Swords, and Pentacles. The court cards are Knave, Knight, Queen, and King.<br /><br />The minor arcana are scenic, and loosely follow the RWS tradition. However, the scenes are limited to a small area in the center of each card, with arrangements of suit symbols around the central vingette. <br /><br />The gold foil embellishment on these cards is beautiful, but it overwhelms the art at times. I wish more space had been alotted to the art.<br /></span>
Atanassov, Atanas A.
Lo Scarabeo
© 2003
78 cards
Multilingual
RWS / Other
ISBN 0738702390
Dragons Tarot
Dragons
Fantasy
Colonialism
78 cards + a title card and an advertising card + an LWB in a standard cardboard tuck box.<br /><br /><span>Cards measure 12 cm tall x 6.6 cm wide. The card stock is very flexible, with a smooth, mostly-matte finish. This deck could easily be riffle-shuffled.<br /><br />The card back design is reversible.<br /><br />Strength is VIII and Justice is XI. The Fool is numbered 0.<br /><br />Suits are Swords, Chalices, Wands, and Pentacles. The court cards are Infanta (<em>Page</em>), Knight, Queen, and King.<br /><br />The minors are scenic, but do not follow any discernable tradition. <br /><br />This deck, by the way, is incredibly distasteful. Even at the time it was published, this would have been (<em>or</em> <em>at least <strong>should</strong> have been</em>) considered unacceptable in its misogynistic depiction of women and insensitive, sometimes racist depiction of historical, non-European cultures. <br /><br />If you are a fan of dragons and fantasy art, don't buy this deck--you'll be disappointed.<br /><br /><strong>Note</strong>: If you are wondering why I own a copy, given my strong dislike of it, I bought it at a very deep discount many years ago without having first looked closely at the cards.</span>
Baraldi, Severino (artist)
Toraldo, Manfredi
Lo Scarabeo
© 2006
78 cards
Multiple languages
Other
ISBN 0738705993
Tarot of the Princesses
World mythology
World history
World literature
<span>78 cards + a title card and a publisher's information card + an LWB in a standard cardboard tuck box.</span><br /><br /><span>Cards measure 12 cm tall x 6.6 cm wide. The card stock is very flexible, with a smooth, mostly-matte finish. This deck could easily be riffle-shuffled.<br /><br /></span>The card back design is reversible.<br /><br />No titles or suit names appear on the cards themselves. Instead, suits are distinguished by different icons in their borders. The LWB identifies each card by its title, and aligns most of the cards with famous women from history and literature.<br /><br />Justice is VIII and Strength is XI. The Fool is numbered 0.<br /><br />The suits are Pentacles, Chalices, Swords, and Wands. The court cards are Knave, Knight, Queen, and King. It is challenging to distinguish the Knaves from the Knights, in that their symbols are very similar.<br /><br />The minor arcana are fully scenic, and loosely follow the RWS tradition.<br /><br />As with some of Severino Baraldi's other work, the female characters don't look like real women -- instead, they look like busty, lusty fantasy women. Though this deck ostensibly focuses on women, it is not a female-friendly deck, nor is it a feminist deck. Also, this deck's art is sometimes very culturally insensitive, even insulting.
Baraldi, Severino (artist)
Nativo, Floreana (author)
Lo Scarabeo
© 2009
78 cards
Multiple languages
RWS / Mixed
ISBN 978-8883958748
Ramses: Tarot of Eternity
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egyptian mythology
Ancient Egyptian dhistory
78 cards + a title card and advertising card + an LWB in a standard cardboard tuck box.<br /><br />The cards measure 12 cm tall x 6.6 cm wide. The card stock is very flexible, with a smooth, matte finish. This deck could easily be riffle-shuffled without damage.<br /><br />The card back design is completely reversible.<br /><br />Justice is VIII and Strength is XI. The Fool is numbered 0. <br /><br />Suits are Chalices, Swords, Pentacles, and Wands. The court cards are Knave, Knight, Queen, and King. <br /><br />The minor arcana are scenic. There are a few hints of an RWS influence, but not enough to call this an RWS-style deck.
Baraldi, Severino (artist)
Berti, Giordano (author)
Lo Scarabeo
© 2003
78 cards
Multilingual
Mixed / Other
ISBN 0738702846