![]() To "see" the history that the Tarot world so delights in discussing takes it out of the realm of discussion and into the realm of reality. I found this to be an astounding deck, and one that I automatically viewed with reverence. The " Visconti Sforza - Pierpont Morgan" deck is a reproduction, in authentic color tones, from the most nearly complete existing Visconti-Sforza tarocchi deck, dating from mid-fifteenth century Milan. ![]() Richard and Jennifer Shadowbox, Shadowfox Tarot Justice XI and Strength VIII are reversed in order, becoming Justice VIII and Strength XI. The Minor Arcana are quite spartan, featuring only the number of items from the chosen suit, i.e. There is some of the symbolism here that is present in the Rider/Waite/Smith deck, but only in the Major Arcana and Court Cards. All 78 cards, including the Pips, have some element of relief, or raised, aspect to them. The imagery on the Majors and Courts all have a very surreal three dimensional look that will have you rubbing your finger across them. When the actual deck is viewed under normal lighting conditions the backgrounds of these cards take on the appearance of gold leaf. It's all in the details as the backgrounds of the Court Cards, and the cards in the Major Arcana are all of the same dark colored backing with a gold repeating stamp. Labeled as extraordinary examples of renaissance art, this is much more than a deck of cards. The artwork is very dark and medieval, but quite lovely. They set the standards and values to modern tarot decks and their designs. In my opinion, these are the "true" and original tarot that many of us may be looking for. Their background is a simple reddish brown/maroon color, and they must be shuffled from the sides rather than the top for convenience. The cards have no titles, no numerical alphabetical allegories (since Comte De Mellet first established the infamous 22 Hebrew letters to the tarot, not Eliphas Levi), which makes their outlook more authentic, yet may be more complicated for a tarot beginner. Temperance was originally a female pouring water from one vase to another, yet became a nude female pouring waters to both sea and land in modern decks, and so on. Such as the Fool, that later tarot decks added a sun the Hermit, has been replaced from holding an hourglass to a lantern Coins became the Neo-Pagan pentacles batons served as magical wands. By taking historically comparing these late 15th century cards to modern cards, one is able to appreciate the beauty and changes in detail that has been embedded in many of our modern tarot cards. However, it is quite possible that both missing cards were never there in the first place, due to the religious and political controversy that surrounds these gambling cards. A hole has been punched in all cards, and two of the cards (Tower and Devil) were added in the modern reproduction. These beautiful cards are larger than the size of our modern tarot, simply because the medieval necessity of fancy decorations surrounded that weighs more than convenient shuffling. They were made NOT for divination or mystical goals, but for simple gambling. These cards were the first "official" tarot card deck made, and it sets the standard and the original look of our modern decks. The Visconti-Sforza Pierpont Morgan truly sets the standards and the origin of the past and present tarot cards. Twenty-six extant cards are at the Accademia Carrara in Italy, and thirteen cards are housed at Casa Colleoni, in Bergamo, Italy. Thirty-five of the original cards are located in the archives of the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York. The original cards are located in three different locations. The cards, which do not have titles or numbering, depict daily life in medieval Milan through allegorical imagery. Four cards have been meticulously recreated to replace those missing from the original deck The Devil, The Tower, Three of Swords, and Knight of Coins. ![]() The 78-card deck is comprised of full-color facsimile reproductions of 74 extant, original Visconti-Sforza tarocchi cards that have survived from the 15th century (Milan, Italy). The pack includes two bonus cards with portraits of Bianca Maria Visconti and Francesco Sforza. ![]() Kaplan, features color illustrations of the tarocchi cards. This new edition presents an 80-card deck with expanded guidebook in a deluxe, hinged box. ![]()
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