The history of Tarot cards that has been pieced together in recent decades
contradicts the mysterious tales of ancient Egyptians, scholarly conclaves in
Fez, or Gypsies, showing instead an Italian Renaissance development out of
the pack of ordinary playing cards that had been introduced to Europe several
decades earlier, and a probable origin date of 1420-1440. This makes Tarot's
historical origins not a surviving fragment of matriarchal wisdom, but an
expression of a patriarchal age. The earliest decks are fully consistent with the
themes present at the transition from the medieval to the renaissance
worldview.
There is a great deal of variation among the fragments of the earliest decks
that have survived. During the next century or so, the number, order and
design of the trumps in the Tarot coalesced into the "Marseilles" standard.
This period is not extremely well represented by surviving cards.
According to the documentary evidence, Tarot was not adopted by occultists
until the 18th century, 350 years after its first appearance. Where were women
at this point? In the late 18th century and early 19th century, there are many
records found in the police archives of women as well as men being arrested
for fortune-telling with cards. Mlle Le Normand, sibyl/pythonisse and the
supposed confidante of Empress Josephine, may be the most famous fortuneteller of all time. Le Normand used a wide variety of divination tools,
including different types of fortune-telling cards. Tarot cards were part of the
mix, but not the sole tool.
In the wake of the vogue for divination, a Frenchman named Etteilla launched
a new wave of "rectification". It was at this point that Tarot designs were
modified to reflect a new Egyptian origin myth, and to be used specifically for
divinatory purposes. The Etteilla deck begins the trend of Egyptianized
Tarots.
The next series of revisions corresponded with the "esoteric correspondence
filing cabinet" notion of Tarot. There were two dominant forms of this
understanding - an early French tradition, and a later Golden Dawn tradition.
The Golden Dawn tradition contributes the framework embedded in the RiderWaite-Smith (RWS), Crowley-Harris "Thoth", and Case-Burns-Parke
"BOTA" decks. In all three of these decks, the designer and writer was a man,
and the artist who executed the designs was a woman (Pamela Colman-Smith,
Lady Frieda Harris and Jessie Burns Parke respectively).
Now we get to the 1960's and 1970's when deck creation began to explode in a
multiplicity of forms. This is when the "Fool's Journey" idea began to take off,
1960's
1970's
1960 - Eden Gray, The Tarot Revealed - Her books were the
first texts found by most people who got into tarot during the
1960's and early 1970's, and featured the RWS. She published A
Complete Guide to the Tarot in 1970 and Mastering the Tarot in
1971.
1965 - Helen Diner, Mothers and Amazons (Julian Press Inc.)
1966 - Catherine Perry Hargrave, A History of Playing Cards
1966 - Moakley, Gertrude, The Tarot Cards Painted by
Bonifacio Bembo
1967 - James Mellaart, Catal Huyuk (Thames & Hudson)
1968 - WITCH founded
1969 - Judy Chicago, The Dinner Party - contained a timeline
that traced Goddess culture from its prehistoric roots to the
present [The Dinner Party: A Symbol of Our Heritage. Anchor
Press/Doubleday, 1979]
1970 - Carlos Castaneda, The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui
Way of Knowledge (Penguin Books)
1971 - Elizabeth Gould Davis, The First Sex (G.P. Putnam &
Sons)
1971 - Susan B Anthony coven founded
1972 - Hyemeyhosts Storm, Seven Arrows (Ballantine Books)
1974 - Marija Gimbutas, The Gods and Goddesses of Old
Europe, 7000-30000 BC, Myths, Legends, and Cult
Images (Thames & Hudson)
1976 - Sally Gearhart and Susan Rennie, A Feminist
Tarot (Pandora's Box) - This book gave feminist interpretations
of the RWS deck.
1976 - Womanspirit Circle Lillith, The Matriarchal
Tarot conceived. This spawned at least three sister decks Daughters of the Moon, Book of Aradia and Shekhinah's Tarot.
1976 - Merlin Stone, When God Was A
Woman (Harvest/Harcourt Brace Jovanovich)
1976 - Anne Kent Rush, Moon, Moon (Moon Books/Random
House)
1977 - Frank Waters, Book of the Hopi (Penguin Books)
1978 - Stuart Kaplan, The Encyclopedia of Tarot, Volume I
1978 - Billie Potts, A New Woman's Tarot (Elf and Dragons
1980's
Press)
1978-9 - Vicki Noble and Karen Vogel, Motherpeace images
created
1979 - Billie Potts, River Lightwomoon, Susun Weed, and
many artists, The Amazon Tarot deck published (Elf and
Dragons Press)
1979-1980 - Zsuzsunna Budapest. The Holy Book of Women's
Mysteries, Vol. I and II. (Susan B. Anthony Coven No. 1)
1979 - Starhawk. The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient
Religion of he Great Goddess: Rituals, Innovations, Exercises,
Magic (Harper & Row Publishers)
1979 - Merlin Stone, Ancient Mirrors of Womanhood, Vol I and
II (New Sybilline Press)
1980 - Michael Dummett, The Game of Tarot
1980 - Rachel Pollack, Seventy-Eight Degrees of Freedom: A
Book of the Tarot (Aquarian Press)
1980 - Sun Bear and Wabun, The Medicine Wheel: Earth
Astrology (Prentice-Hall Inc.)
1980? - Lynn Andrews, Medicine Woman
1981 - Patricia Monaghan. The Book of Goddesses and
Heroines (E.P. Dutton)
1981 - Vicki Noble and Karen Vogel, The Motherpeace
Round Tarot Deck (first edition self-published, now published
by US Games)
1981 - Gail Fairfield, Choice Centered Tarot (Ramp Creek
Publishing Inc.)
1982 - Susun Weed, Transparent Tarot (self-published
pamphlet)
1983 - Susun Weed, Goddesses of the Tarot (self-published
pamphlet)
1983 - Marion Zimmer Bradley, The Mists of Avalon
1983 - Barbara G. Walker, The Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths
and Secrets (Harper & Row Publishers)
1983 - Vicki Noble, Motherpeace: A Way to the Goddess
Through Myth Art and Tarot (Harper & Row Publishers)
1984 - Ffiona Morgan and 14 other artists, Daughters of the
Moon deck and book published (Daughters of the Moon) Illustrating Artists: Kate Taylor, Ffiona Morgan, Lily Hill, Max
Dashu, Jean Chavez, Linden Berk, Ellen Fishburn, Merridy
Volz, Jean Van Slyke, Susan Stacey, Terra Candage, Jennifer
Weston, Rainbow, Diane Nelson. Original creation, "A
Matriarchal Tarot" by Ffiona Morgan and Shekhinah
Mountainwater
1984 - Billie Potts and River Lightwomoon and 20 other
artists, The New Amazon Tarot deck published (Hecuba's
Daughter, Inc.)
1984 - Djinni Van Slyke, Book of Aradia deck published
(Aradia Press) (Tarot Passages, Aisling Magazine)
1990's
2000's
Systems, Inc.)
1998 - Kay Steventon, Spiral Tarot: A Story of the Cycles of
Life (US Games Systems, Inc.)
1997 - Wheel of Change Tarot deck and book published
1998 - Goddess Tarot deck published by US Games
2000-2001 - The TarotL Tarot History Information Sheet,
Compiled and edited by Tom Tadfor Little based on input from
Mary K. Greer, Tom Tadfor Little, Nina Lee Braden, Linda
Dunn, Mark Filipas, Robert V. O'Neill, Christine Payne-Towler,
Robert Place, James Revak, and others.
2001 - World Spirit Tarot deck published by Llewellyn
2001 - Rachel Pollack, Shining Tribe Tarot deck reissued by
Llewellyn (revised version of Shining Woman)
2002 - Isha Lerner and Mara Friedman, The Triple Goddess
Tarot deck and book published (Bear & Company/Inner
Traditions)
2002 - Flash Silvermoon and Barbara Vogel, The Wise
Woman's Tarot deck and book published (MoonFox
Productions)
2003 - Oracle Tarot deck published
This is not an exhaustive list, but should still be helpful in seeing the context
of trend developments.
Key: purple text: Women's Spirituality milestones
green text: Playing Card and Tarot History milestones
brown text: New Age appropriation of Native American
Spirituality milestones (added to contextualize Medicine Woman)
black text: Women's Tarot milestones
de la Princesse by ditions Dusserre, Paris, circa 19982001. Reprinted after the first edition issued by Charles
Wattiliaux in 1860. Lo Scarabeo has a reprint too.--K.
Frank Jensen)
1848 Fox sisters claim spirit communication.
1854 MacGregor Mathers born January 8 at West Hackney.
Possibly 10:56 am. GMT.
1854 The Dogmas & Ritual of High Magic (Doctrine and Literature
of Transcendental Magic) by Eliphas Lvi. First identifies
Yod/Fire/Batons; H/Water/Cups; V/Air/Swords;
H/Earth/Coins as per Agrippa (above).
1857 Arthur Edward Waite born. Dies 1942.
1857 Les Rmes, histoire vraie des vrais Bohmiens by J.A.
Vaillant (Paris). Study of gypsies as descendents and
carries of Hindustani wisdom, reinforcing their role in
Tarot origin theories.
1860 Oswald Wirth born. Dies 1943.
1860 Histoire de la Magie by Eliphas Lvi (Paris).
1861 Le Clef des Grands Mystres by Eliphas Lvi (Paris).
1861 December 3rd. Kenneth Mackenzie visits liphas Lvi in
Paris. Tells him of his work with Tarot. Lvi shows
Mackenzie a manuscript set of 21 cards + Fool according
to the earliest authorities and drawn by his own hand. He
wrote about his impressions of the occasion as An
Account of What Passed between Eliphas Levi Zahed
(Abb Constant), Occult Philosopher, and
BAPHOMETUS (Kenneth R. H. Mackenzie), Astrologer
and Spiritualist, in the City of Paris, December,
1861 for The Rosicrucian.
1861 An Etteilla III-style Tarot deck is published in Russia with
complete illustrated Pips (the first ever?). THE
1887 Westcott obtains papers from Mrs. Mackenzie and soon after
asks Mathers to help him write up rituals based on a
cypher manuscript. Mackenzies wife was known as
Sister Cryptonyma to Mackenzies Cryptonymus.
Mackenzie crafted many of the core rituals for the Sat
Bhai.
1888 The Tarot: Its Occult Signification, Use in Fortune Telling, and
Method of Play, Etc. by MacGregor Mathers.
1888 Founding of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn on March
1. (Anna Kingsford dies one month earlier.)
1888 Founding of the Kabbalistic Rose+Croix by Stanislas de
Guaita in Paris. Members include Pladan, Papus,
Oswald Wirth. Wirths Tarot deck is based on the
teachings of de Guaita.
1888 The Secret Doctrine by Madam Blavatsky.
1889 Guaita/Wirth deck. Oswald Wirths first deck, Les 22 Arcanes
du Tarot Kabbalistique , published in an edition of 350
copies. Subtitled Designed for the use of initiates by
Oswald Wirth in accordance with the indications of
Stanislas de Guaita. This was the first published set of
occult Tarot cards other than those deriving from Etteilla.
He revised the design in 1926. This first version is
distinguished by its art nouveau borders.
1889 Papus publishes The Tarot of the Bohemians. Contains essay
by Oswald Wirth and illustrated with Wirths majors.
1890 William Butler Yeats initiated into GD on March 7.
1891 Helena Blavatsky dies.
1893 The Devils Picture Books: A History of Playing Cards by Mrs.
John King Van Rensselaer (NY: Dodd, Mead, and Co.).
1896 The Magical Ritual of the Sanctum Regnum, Interpreted by
the Tarot Trumps by William Wynn Westcott.
1896 Falconnier/Wegener deck. Publication of Les XXII lames
hermtiques du tarot divinatoire by R. Falconnier. Here,
for the first time, could be seen designs which truly
mimicked Egyptian art based on the descriptions of
Paul Christian (1870). The images were drawn by
Maurice Otto Wegener and based on the detailed
descriptions by Christian. (See also 1901.) These are the
inspiration for most future Egyptian-style Tarot decks.
1899 The Mystic Rose from the Garden of the King by Sir Fairfax L.
Cartwright (London: H.S. Nichols). Source for
Blakeleys Mystical Tower of the Tarot (1974).
1900 The Golden Dawn splits into many factions.
1901 Practical Astrology by Edgar de Valcourt-Vermont -published under the pseudonym of Comte C. de Saint
Germain. (Reprint, see 1973.) Basically plagiarized
material from Paul Christian (see 1870). Valcourts book
reproduced the earlier illustrations by FalconnierWegener (see 1896), adding designs for the Minor
Arcana. The only difference between the Wegener
designs and the Valcourt-Vermont reproductions is that
Trump II (The Gate of the Sanctuary) was slightly
redesigned. They are the basis for the Church of Light
Tarot (1918). These 78 images were later published as a
deck in 1978 by AGMller under the name Egyptian
Tarot. See Mark Filipas' website.
1903 Annie Horniman does Tarot reading in which she decides to
finance an Irish Theatre (the Abbey Theatre in Dublin).
1906? Founding of the Ordo Templi Orientis in Germany.
1906 Les Cartes Jouer du Quatorzime au Vingtime Sicle by
Henry-Ren DAllemagne (Paris). A major and rare work
on the history of playing cards with 3200 reproductions of
cards.
1907 Founding of Crowleys Argentium Astrum.
1909 Manuel Synthtique & Pratique du Tarot by Eudes Picard
(Paris: H. Daragon, Libraire-diteur). Original designs for
the Minor Arcana. Sceptres = fire; Coins = Earth; Cups =
Air; Swords = Water. The number progression is based
on the pattern of vegetative growth.
1909 Le Tarot Divinatoire deck created by Papus & Goulinat deck
first published.
Dec. 1909 First publication of the deck conceptualized by A.E. Waite, art
by Pamela Coleman-Smith, published by Rider & Co.
London. The two editions were different regarding
cardstock used and the pattern of the backs (roses and
lilies and brown pebbles respectively). At least two further
editions were printed before World War II which from
1972 onwards was licensed to US Games Systems Inc.
(K. Frank Jensen)
1910
The first edition of Waite's card-size book "The Key to the Tarot" was
dated 1910, but
accompanied the deck in 1909. A new expanded edition of
"The Key" appeared in 1920 and again in 1931. (K. Frank
Jensen)
1910 Key to the Tarot by A.E. Waite, published as a book and deck
set. The cards have a brown pebble backing. [There is
some indication that two editions were printed in 1910
the second on better cardstock than the first(?). Although
this might refer to the stand-alone deck in 1909 and the
set in 1910.]
1910 Le Tarot Divinatoire: Clef du tirage des Cartes et des Sorts by
Papus. Card interpretations based on Etteilla and his
disciple DOdoucet (1804).
1910 The Tarot of the Bohemians: Absolute Key to Occult
Science by Papus, translated by A. P. Morton. (for French
original see 1889; many English editions, esp. 1971).
1911 Pierpont-Morgan Library acquired the Visconti-Sforza
cards from a dealer named Hamburger.
1911 Waite's "Pictorial Key to the Tarot" is published with illustrations of all
78 cards. It is based upon the text from "The Key..." but with
new material added. Many later, but not
always faithful, editions appeared. (K. Frank Jensen)
1912 Il Destino Svelato dal Tarocco, originally designed by Bruno
Sigon in 1912 as an Egyptian-based Trump set, with a
Milanese Minor Arcana. Republished by Modiano in the
1975 as Cartomanzia 184, and in an English version in
1981 under the title Cagliostro Tarot. Interpretive
keywords at the top and bottom of the Trumps are from
liphas Lvi and Paul Christian. (see 1975, 1981) See
Mark Filipas' website.
1912 A Description of the Cards of the Tarot, with their Attributions;
including a Method of Divination by their Use in The
Equinox: The Official Organ of the A. A., published by
Aleister Crowley. This was a plagiarized version of the
Golden Dawn manuscript Book T.
1912 Prophetical Educational and Playing Cards by Mrs. John King
Van Rensselaer (Philadelphia).
1913 Rudolf Steiner founds the Anthroposophical Society.
1913 The Symbolism of the Tarot by P. D. Ouspensky (St.
Petersburg: Trood).
1917 The Key to the Universe: or a Spiritual Interpretation of
Numbers by Harriette Augusta Curtiss and F. Homer
Curtiss (San Francisco & Washington D.C.: The Curtiss
Philosophic Book Co). Founders of the Order of Christian
Mystics. (Many subsequent editions. (See 1923 for Vol.
2.) Reprinted 1983 by Newcastle. (Illustrated Majors of
RWS, Egyptian, Marseilles, Wirth decks.)
1918 C.C. Zain first publishes a series of instructional courses,
which were at that time illustrated with the reproductions
1964 The Sufis by Idries Shah (NY: Doubleday & Co.). Has an
appendix in which Shah claims the Tarot was created by
the Sufis.
1965/72 The Esoteric Tarot: The Key to the Cabala by Simon Kasdin
(Convent NJ: The Emerson Society, 1965; and NY:
Samuel Weiser, 1972). (Original illustrations of Majors
based on Hebrew letter shapes by Sylvia Schlossman of
Morristown NJ; and Jimmy Carter of Virginia Beach VA
for the Wheel of Life.)
1968/69 The Majors of the Atlantean Tarot was, along with the
Gypsy Tarot and the New Tarot, published by Alice
Kent in black and white in 1979. They were printed on
cardboard sheets (US-letter format), but published for
cutting. The sheets and a text were spiral bound and sold
under the name of "Communify - A Game."
1969 Mont-Saint-Johns Astral Tarot deck (b&w) with 20 page
booklet, published by Mont-Saint-Johns. Art by Yurica.
Mont-Saint-Johns, Inc. felt our twentieth century
computer age called for a modernized design that would
remain faithful to the 78 ancient symbols and yet, would
be more readily assimilated by the subconscious. (see
1971, St. Croix).
1969 Grand Etteilla Egyptian Gypsies Tarot deck and booklet by B.
P. Grimaud published in English by France-Cartes/J.M.
Simon (Paris).
1969 Tarot of Marseilles deck and booklet by B. P. Grimaud
published in English by France-Cartes/J.M. Simon (Paris).
1969 Publication of the Thoth deck through the auspices of Grady
McMurtry. The photography is not very good, distorting
the colors (Llewellyn or Weiser)
1969 The Book of Thoth: A Short Essay on the Tarot of the
Egyptians: Being The Equinox Volume III No. V by The
Master Therion (Aleister Crowley); artist Executant:
Frieda Harris (Berkeley CA: K@shmarin Press,
Shambhala Publications). First American edition of The
Book of Thoth. Later editions by many different
publishers.
1969 The XXII Keys of the Tarot by Arland Ussher (Dublin:
Dolmen).
1969 The Tarot by Brad Steiger and Ron Warmoth (NY: Award
Books). (Marseilles illustrations.)
1969 Tarot and the Bible by Corinne Heline (Oceanside CA: New
Age Press). (Illustrated with the Church of
Light/Falconnier-Wegener tarot deck.)
1969 A Practical Guide to Qabalistic Symbolism by Gareth Knight
(Toddington: Helios).
1969 Sacred Tarot by C..C. Zain. New edition (see 1936).
1969 Ancient Tarot Symbolism Revealed by Professor Hilton
Hotema (Lakemont GA: CSA Press). Hotema was
pseudonym for George R. Clements who also wrote The
1976 The Quantum Gods: The Origin and Nature of Matter and
Consciousness by Jeff
Love (London: Compton Press Ltd.). His Qabalah Mandala
shows the intersection of
tarot, qabalah and astrology; quantum physics meets the
Tree of Life. (LL)
1976 The Rational Tarot: How to Use It, Why It Works by Richard
Spencer Le Gette
(London: Arthur Barker Ltd.) Poems start each of the two
sections, one on the Oracle,
the other on Science. (LL)
1976/81 The Golden Cycle: A Text on the Tarot by John Sandbach
and Ronn Ballard (Chicago: Aries Press). (No
illustrations.) Metaphysical linguistics approach to Tarot.
1977 The Way of the Sorcerer by Peter Balin. A Verbatim Report of
a Talk on the Higher Arcana of the Xultun Tarot Deck
given by its author Peter Balin at Esoteric Speakers
1979 The Amazon Tarot deck published by Elf and Dragons Press.
Created by Billie Potts, River Lightwomoon, Susun Weed,
and other artists.
1979 Tarotmania (later renamed Tarot Therapy: A Guide to the
Subconscious) by Jan Woudhuysen (Wildwood House,
Great Britain) (LA: J.P. Tarcher). (Original card
illustrations by Louise Aaltje) .
1979 Tarot: A New Handbook for the Apprentice by Eileen Connolly
(No. Hollywood: Newcastle). First in a series of three
books on the Tarot. (RWS illustrations).
1979 Pictorial Key to the Tarot by A.E. Waite (NY: Samuel Weiser;
their first printing). (see also 1910; 1959; 1973.)
banners) present in many of his prints - originated in the North Netherlands during the
mid-fifteenth century. He (or she) was one of the earliest professional printmakers.
Most of his output consisted of devotional and decorative images for the emerging
market for prints which would have been pasted onto boards or into books. He tended
to copy subjects from other sources whilst building up a composition, or reuse his own
motifs, rather than create original works.
Right: detail from 'Fortune and Death' by the Master of the Banderoles, c.1450-1475
showing a banderole or scroll containing 'speech' text emanating from the King
Working almost within living memory of the first arrival of playing cards into Europe,
the Master of the Banderoles set of playing cards provide a rare glimpse into their early
development. Some of the Master's work was based on Italian models, so it is possible
that he visited Italy. These eight cards appear to be from an Italian (or Spanish)-suited
pack of at least 48 cards, although no Aces or court cards are present in the fragment.
The cards have been engraved in sequential order and are separated by a single line.
Above: an uncut sheet of eight playing cards probably the work of the Master of the Banderoles, an artist
who is supposed to have worked on the Lower Rhine about 1470. The designs suggest Italian inspiration.
Height of sheet: 192 millimetres; Width: 270 millimetres. The Trustees of the British Museum. All rights
reserved.
The Master of the Banderoles produced religious and devotional images as well as
subjects such as grotesque alphabets and these playing cards. Some of his works are in
series with a common format. He worked in the new medium of engraving which
required draughtsmanship and technical ability for copying the works of existing
masters. The cross-over between religious and profane images is evident in the cup suit
symbols which are in fact ciboria, cups for holding hosts from the Christian Eucharist
and presumably sacred, similar to the chalices used for wine. The Master of the
Banderoles seems to be very familiar with their designs. They were usually made of
precious metal, or plated with silver, and possibly decorated with engraving. Ciboria
were sometimes kept at homes to be handy for the Last Rites where needed. The impish
little figures - putti - cavorting amongst the ciboria add a slightly irreverent sense of
fun and playfulness to the playing cards, consistent with their use as a recreational
game.
Cherubs and Putti, which started reappearing in medieval art during the 15th century,
were distinct. Cherubs were Angels and thus close to God. Putti were associated with
Eros/Cupid and profane love and used as decorative art on buildings, frontispieces and
illuminated capital letters. The Master of the Banderoles entertainingly merges spiritual
and secular themes in his pack of playing cards by placing putti amongst the ciboria.
Similar antics can be seen in the miniature figures adorning the numeral cards in
another elaborate Italian or Spanish-suited, Gothic pack of playing cards, produced in
South Germany, which appears to commemorate the marriage, in 1496, of Felipe I of
Spain and Doa Juana, daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella more
Right: Ace of Batons and Six of Cups from the pack of cards by the South German Engravershowing
children cavorting amongst the pip symbols, late 15th century.
Left: Aces of Cups & Coins from a Gothic Spanish-suited pack produced in Spain, late 15th / early 16th
century decorated with small children playing around the suit symbols.
Strangely enough, many Renaissance putti are shown with the Dead Christ. Flowers, which are ruled by
Venus, are actually the sex organs of the plant kingdom, are placed on graves. Many Roman sarcophagi are
decorated with putti. The subject is vast.
I would suggest an Italian origin for these ideas - which permeated through Venice to Augsburg, Nuremberg,
and the so-called Northern German Renaissance - which had as its climatic fruition, the work of Durer.
Warburg scholars have paid attention to this field, and even for example, Durer made versions of the socalled Tarot of Mantegna. The classical research for this imaginal world can be traced back to Cyriacus of
Ancona. These are a few bones of thought . . . Samten
Methods of Production
ncrease in demand for cultural objects led to the inventing of quicker and
cheaper production methods woodcuts, movable type, paper instead of parchment,
multiple copies. As card-playing became more popular production was accelerated by
these alternative processes, including hand-made cards, cards printed
from woodblocks or using stencils, or other improvised techniques.
Below Left: archaic sixteenth century Spanish playing card by Francisco Flores. Right: XV century printed
German playing card / XV century hand-painted hunting pack.
Early packs involved artisan methods of card production which was time-consuming but
the resulting cards were very sturdy. Pasteboard was manufactured from several sheets
of paper glued together. More expensive cards were produced from engravings in
copper using the skills of the goldsmith and engraver and illuminated with many
colours including gold and silver. These cards have greater detail and a more
naturalistic use of line. Such packs were given as wedding gifts, bequeathed as
heirlooms and regarded as valuable items. They were often produced for collectors or as
curios for princely display cabinets.
Luxury hand-painted packs were only available to a few, who enjoyed them privately or
with elite company as objects of fashionable esteem. The printed or mechanicallyproduced versions, cruder in design and execution, were viewed simultaneously by
larger audiences but were prone to deteriorate more rapidly especially if they were
heavily used. Wood engraving and traditional woodcuts, despite the modern
developments of chemical, mechanical or electronic processes, still remain the most
expressive forms of illustration, adding a sense of vibrancy, old world chivalry and
romance.
See also Francisco Flores, The South German Engraver, Mantegna Tarocchi, Rotxotxo Workshop
Inventories, Barcelona Amos Whitney Playing Card Workshop.
Above: illustration of Card Maker's Workshop from L'Encyclopedie by Diderot, d'Alembert, Paris, 1751. At
the left-hand side we can see pasting operations and polishing by means of flints fixed to apparatus
suspended from the ceiling. In the back room freshly pasted sheets are being pressed and the excess water
squeezed out into the bucket. In the central area, sheets of cards are being cut using a cutting machine
whilst at the right-hand side finished cards are being inspected and sorted into complete packs. Learn more