Whatever the local fortune teller or pastor has told you about tarot cards is wrong.
Trarot cards were NOT invented by egyptians, or gypsies. they were invented in Italy during the 14th-15th c.( no-one is quite sure about the date!)
Neither were they invented for divinatory puropses! they were essentially a extended deck with more cards to make the games more interesting. This becomes especially apparent when you consider the deck's structure.
the structure of a tarot deck:
the tarot deck is divided into 2 parts:
I- A deck of 56 cards, in the 4 Latin suits.
each of the 4 suits is divided thus:
1- a series of 10 pip cards, from 1-10
2 - a series of 4 picture cards, viz: KIng, Queen, Knight ( cavalier), and knave ( jack)
II - A series of 22 cards, called "trumps", which outrank the former series:
21 of these cards bear numbers from 1-21, and one is unnumbered.
***
Part I of the deck is known by the fortune telling dunces a"s the "minor arcana" , and part II as the "major arcana " it is here where you will find the omnimous sounding cards, like death, the hanged man, and the tower: but not to worry, these frgures were very probably taken from characters in triumphal parades.
Thursday, 17 November 2011
"los dos tigres" ( fournier)
Los dos tigres - fournier, 48c.
this deck is essentially a luxury version of the common or garden Spanish national deck.
http://anthonylesq.blogspot.com/2011/10/spanish-playing-cards.html
What is interesting, however, is that this deck maitains some features that have been lost in the spanish national deck in the meantime. for example, the knight of cups still bears the inscription "AHI VA"
also note the 2 of cups. ot states "DE UNA HOJA"- "ON ONE SHEET"- this message dating back to the days when most cards were made of sheets of paper & card glued together. a deck that was made of solid card , was therefore, seen to be of better quality, and so this would be advertised
also note the 2 and 3 of coins ( 3rd pic) the maker has cleverly turned the coins to medals, to advertise the superiority of this product!
this deck is essentially a luxury version of the common or garden Spanish national deck.
http://anthonylesq.blogspot.com/2011/10/spanish-playing-cards.html
What is interesting, however, is that this deck maitains some features that have been lost in the spanish national deck in the meantime. for example, the knight of cups still bears the inscription "AHI VA"
also note the 2 of cups. ot states "DE UNA HOJA"- "ON ONE SHEET"- this message dating back to the days when most cards were made of sheets of paper & card glued together. a deck that was made of solid card , was therefore, seen to be of better quality, and so this would be advertised
also note the 2 and 3 of coins ( 3rd pic) the maker has cleverly turned the coins to medals, to advertise the superiority of this product!
Sunday, 13 November 2011
kabufuda ( nintendo)
kabufuda by nintendo. 40 cards + 1 spare.
The following deck is but the last survivor of one of the most amzing journeys in the history of cards: the introduction of cards into japan. as the story is quite long, I shall post it seperately. http://anthonylesq.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-cards-came-to-japan.html
Anyway, the important bit is this: When the portugese came to japan, the locals copied, and played with the portugese cards with gusto, developong the their own local versions. However, at some period of time, one bright spark decided to repeat one suit of the four-suited deck four times, for use with counting games, similar to baccarat. Some decks used the suit of coins , and others like the kabufuda here, the suit of batons.
The deck you see below consists of 4 series of 10 subjects, viz: ace-9 & a jack. , ( see caption on 1st pic)
in one of theese series, however, the ace and the 4 are more elaborate than the other 3 ( see second pic)
the game that is played with this deck is much like baccarat.
The following deck is but the last survivor of one of the most amzing journeys in the history of cards: the introduction of cards into japan. as the story is quite long, I shall post it seperately. http://anthonylesq.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-cards-came-to-japan.html
Anyway, the important bit is this: When the portugese came to japan, the locals copied, and played with the portugese cards with gusto, developong the their own local versions. However, at some period of time, one bright spark decided to repeat one suit of the four-suited deck four times, for use with counting games, similar to baccarat. Some decks used the suit of coins , and others like the kabufuda here, the suit of batons.
The deck you see below consists of 4 series of 10 subjects, viz: ace-9 & a jack. , ( see caption on 1st pic)
in one of theese series, however, the ace and the 4 are more elaborate than the other 3 ( see second pic)
the game that is played with this deck is much like baccarat.
top , R-L ace, 2,3,4,5
bottom , R-L - 6,7,8,9, knave/ jack ( countas as 10)
the more elacorate ace ( far right) , and four ( middle), with what appears to be a medal on it.
the wrapper ( with a pic of Napoleon ) is on the fal left.
how cards came to japan
In the 16thc, portugese sailors came to japan, bringing along with them many new things, like guns,buttons, and more importantly, playing cards.(the cards were an very idosyncratic latin-suited pattern, the most notable feature of which was the fact that dragons or sea-serpents wound themselves around the aces)
The japanese copied this strange new form of entertainment with gusto, down to the very names of the suits, and yes, the dragons. However, with frequent copying, the dragons ( and the court cards too) became more & more stylized, till the extent that they were transformed to splodges or squiggles , what little detail obscured under paint.
later, someone had the bright isea of repeating one suit of the cards 4 times. in the case of the below deck it was the suit of batons, nut others used the suit of coins.
anyway, all the patterns I mentioned above, including the portugese patern, are long extinct. al that is left is this deck.
The japanese copied this strange new form of entertainment with gusto, down to the very names of the suits, and yes, the dragons. However, with frequent copying, the dragons ( and the court cards too) became more & more stylized, till the extent that they were transformed to splodges or squiggles , what little detail obscured under paint.
later, someone had the bright isea of repeating one suit of the cards 4 times. in the case of the below deck it was the suit of batons, nut others used the suit of coins.
anyway, all the patterns I mentioned above, including the portugese patern, are long extinct. al that is left is this deck.
Friday, 11 November 2011
"bresciane" (modanio)
Bresciane by modanio. 52 cards.
The Brescian pattern is the only italian pattern that invariably has 52 cards. You will not find a 40-card version of this pattern.
The design of this pattern is not unlike the bergamo pattern ( see:http://anthonylesq.blogspot.com/2011/11/bergamasche-modanio.html), viz: it has the same distinctive red & black coins, the cupid on the ace of cups & the 5 of coins has a starburst around the central coin.
other than that, this pattern is much smaller ( 8.5 x 4 cm) ,and the court figures are drawn in a more crude fashion ...
The Brescian pattern is the only italian pattern that invariably has 52 cards. You will not find a 40-card version of this pattern.
The design of this pattern is not unlike the bergamo pattern ( see:http://anthonylesq.blogspot.com/2011/11/bergamasche-modanio.html), viz: it has the same distinctive red & black coins, the cupid on the ace of cups & the 5 of coins has a starburst around the central coin.
other than that, this pattern is much smaller ( 8.5 x 4 cm) ,and the court figures are drawn in a more crude fashion ...
Thursday, 10 November 2011
"spillekort no. 333" ( handa)
"spillekort no. 333"( lillebror)- . Handa, 52c.+4 jokers
The folowing deck is danish, and is called 'spillekort no. 333' by the maker handa of copenhagen. It is also known as the "lillebror"- "little brother"
the deck has 4 identical jokers.
the deck has 4 identical jokers.
The folowing deck is danish, and is called 'spillekort no. 333' by the maker handa of copenhagen. It is also known as the "lillebror"- "little brother"
the deck has 4 identical jokers.
"bergamasche" ( modanio)
Bergamasche ( bergmao pattern) by modanio. 40 c.
This pattern is used in the city of Bergamo, and is rather plain.
that is to say, it does not have interesting fatures. for example, on the ace of cups stands a Cupid, and the ace of batons exclaims "VINCERAI"- "Victory!"
Some of the pip cards have little pictures inserted in them (see 3rd pic)
Another interesting feature is the ace of coins, which is Normaly a simple ring in red & black ( the inside of the coin was cleared so the tax stamp could be put on it) but here, the ring has been filled in with the characteristic black & red coin of this pattern.
This pattern is used in the city of Bergamo, and is rather plain.
that is to say, it does not have interesting fatures. for example, on the ace of cups stands a Cupid, and the ace of batons exclaims "VINCERAI"- "Victory!"
Some of the pip cards have little pictures inserted in them (see 3rd pic)
Another interesting feature is the ace of coins, which is Normaly a simple ring in red & black ( the inside of the coin was cleared so the tax stamp could be put on it) but here, the ring has been filled in with the characteristic black & red coin of this pattern.
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