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
Tarot of the Gnomes
Gnomes
Fantasy art
<span>78 cards + a title card and advertising card + a small fold-out guide in a standard cardboard tuck box.</span><br /><br /><span>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 backs are fully reversible.<br /><br />Justice is VIII and Strength is XI. The Fool is numbered 0.<br /><br />Suits are Pentacles, Chalices, Swords, and Wands. The court cards are Knave, Knight, Queen, and King.<br /><br />The minor arcana feature small scenes along with a suit symbol and number, with descriptive titles. For example, the 6 of Pentacles depicts a dragon sitting atop its hoard, and the title is Treasure. The 8 of Wands depicts a gnome falling off a unicycle, and the title is Accident.<br /><br />Though the cards don't follow any specific traditional tarot system, because the scenes align so tightly to the titles, this deck could be used by anyone.<br /><br />The cards are titled in 5 languages. The fold-out guide is only in English. I wonder if the guide was printed in different languages for different markets? <br /></span>
Lupatelli, Antonio
Lo Scarabeo
© 2000
78 cards
Multilingual
Other / Mixed
ISBN 9780738700571
China Tarot
Art
China
<span>78 cards + a title card and advertising card + an LWB in a standard cardboard tuck box.<br /></span><br /><span>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 backs are fully reversible.<br /><br />Strength is VIII and Justice is XI. The Fool is numbered 0.<br /><br />Suits are Pentacles, Chalices, Swords, and Wands. The court cards are Knave, Knight, Queen, and King.<br /><br />The minor arcana are decorative pips with arrangements of suit symbols.<br /><br /><strong>Note</strong>: This deck is a reprint of the Der-Jen tarot from Taiwan. The art is the same in both versions, but the Lo Scarabeo version adds multilingual borders/titles.<br /><br /></span>
Der Jen
Lo Scarabeo
© 2006
78 cards
Multiple languages
Plain pips
ISBN 073871058-X
Tarot of the Magical Forest
Animals
Fairy tales
<span>78 cards + a title card and advertising card + an LWB in a standard cardboard tuck box.</span><br /><br /><span>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 backs are fully reversible.<br /><br />Strength is VIII and Justice is XI. The Fool is numbered 0.<br /><br />Suits are Pentacles, Chalices, Swords, and Wands. The court cards are Knave, Knight, Queen, and King.<br /><br />The minor arcana are scenic and follow the RWS tradition quite closely; I classify this as a RWS clone.<br /><br /><strong>Note</strong>: This deck was originally released in Taiwan by a different publisher a few years before the Lo Scarabeo re-print/re-release. The artist, Leo Tang, is Taiwanese.</span>
Tang, Leo
Lo Scarabeo
© 2008
78 cards
Multiple languages
RWS
ISBN 978-0738714127
Dark Grimoire Tarot
Tarot del Necronomicon
Literature--Lovecraft, H.P.--<em>Necronomicon</em>
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 backs are non-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 fully scenic, but do not align closely to any specific tradition. Rather, they seem to be narrative-driven, in line with the theme (Lovecraft's <em>Necronomicon</em>).<br /><br />I love this as an art deck, but not as a reading deck.
Penco, Michele, 1982-
Lo Scarabeo
© 2008
78 cards
Multiple languages
Other / Mixed
ISBN 978-0738713847
Medieval Tarot
European history--medieval period
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, mostly matte finish. This deck could easily be riffle-shuffled without damage.<br /><br />The card back design is fully reversible.<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 mostly scenic; some offer more complete scenes that others. Some are more akin to illustrated pips. <br /><br />The theme is simply medieval life in general; the scenes are often light on details. The minors don't follow traditional system that I can identify; this is not an RWS-style deck. A reader might have better luck using TdM meanings.
Marchesi, Guido Zibordi
Lo Scarabeo
© 2007
78 cards
Multiple languages
Other
ISBN 978-0738711751
African American Tarot
African tribal myth and lore
African American history
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 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 and primarily follow the RWS system. The LWB explains how the thematic elements are intended to work together in each card, melding African myth/culture with African American history. (<em>I scanned two pages from the LWB as an example</em>.)<br /><br />Now that I've given the physical dimensions and description of this deck, I want to point out that despite its name, this is <strong>not</strong> a deck focused on African American life and culture. It seems to be more of an attempt at depicting African tribalism, myth, and lore. Some of the minor arcana cards have a "moment in African American history" patched into the background, but the attempt at merging the two themes/styles comes out as awkward and disjointed. <br /><br />So if you are seeking a deck that effectively depicts African American life and history, or an inclusive deck that depicts people of color in an authentic and contemporary way -- look elsewhere.
Davis, Thomas (artist)
Jamal R (writer)
Lo Scarabeo
© 2007
78 cards
Multiple languages
RWS
ISBN 978-0738711744
Mona Lisa Tarot
Art--Mona Lisa
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 wonderfully flexible, with a smooth, mostly matte finish. This deck could easily be riffle-shuffled without damage.<br /><br />The card back design is non-reversible.<br /><br />Strength is VIII and Justice is XI. The Fool is numbered 0.<br /><br />Suits are Wands, Chalices, Swords, and Coins. <strong>Note</strong>: The LWB uses the term <em>Cups</em> rather than <em>Chalices</em>, but Chalices is printed on the cards.<br /><br />The court cards are Knave, Knight, Queen, and King. <strong>Note</strong>: The LWB uses the term <em>Page</em> rather than <em>Knave</em>, but Knave is printed on the cards.<br /><br />The minor arcana are scenic, with an occasional nod towards the RWS, but this is primarily a narrative-driven deck that is doing its own thing.<br /><br />I love the art style of this deck; it is richly colorful and enchanting. It doesn't work as a reading deck for me, though; the minor arcana stray too far from any system I'm familiar with.
Martinello, Paolo (artist)
McElroy, Mark (author)
Lo Scarabeo
© 2007
78 cards
Multiple languages
Other / Mixed
ISBN 978-0738712864
Tarot of the 78 Doors
Doorways
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 fully reversible.<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 scenic, and seem to follow the RWS tradition, though with frequent departures.<br /><br />I think the concept of this deck is interesting -- to focus on doorways -- but the end result feels contrived. Some cards "work" but many others don't. The color palette also seems oddly muted.
Platano, Antonella (artist)
Alligo, Pietro (writer)
Lo Scarabeo
© 2005
78 cards
Multiple languages
RWS
ISBN 073870789-9
Tarot of Metamorphosis
Transformation
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 wonderfully flexible, with a smooth, mostly matte finish. This deck could easily be riffle-shuffled without damage.<br /><br />The card back design is fully reversible.<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 scenic, with hints here and there of an RWS influence, but I wouldn't call this an RWS-style deck. In truth, I have trouble connecting many of the images to any clear tarot system. <br /><br />To me, this deck reads more like an oracle deck than a tarot deck. Also, I find the swaths of yellow on the card borders to be distracting; it is exactly the color of a highlighter, serving to make the cards appear defaced.
Di Giammarino, Luigi (artist)
Filadoro, Massimiliano (author)
Lo Scarabeo
© 2005
78 cards
Multiple languages
Mixed
ISBN 888395467-X
Dark Angels Tarot
Gothic subculture
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 wonderfully flexible, with a smooth, mostly matte finish. This deck could easily be riffle-shuffled without damage.<br /><br />The card back design is non-reversible.<br /><br />Justice is VIII and Strength is XI. The Fool is numbered 0. <br /><br />Cups, Wands, Swords, and Discs. The court cards are Page, Knight, Queen, and King.<br /><br />The minors are sort of scenic -- some moreso than others. For the most part, they follow the RWS system.<br /><br />I dislike this this deck; the art is too dark to see clearly and it seems over-photoshopped. A decade ago when it was first published, it may have had more impact. In truth, I don't remember what I thought of it then; this was probably a deck I aquired on sale, and purchased because it looked moderately interesting.<br /><br /><strong>Note</strong>: The LWB mentions that the instructions are written by Lillie (no last name given). I wonder if this is the same Lillie who created the Aubrey Beardsley tarot, and who was once very active on the Aeclectic Tarot forum?
Russo, Luca
Lo Scarabeo
© 2010
78 cards
Multiple languages
RWS
ISBN 978-0738720715
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