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Bordi Rivoltinati: The Rosenwald Tarocchi with Folded Borders by Marco Benedetti
Here’s a deck that not only looks like the fifteenth century, but feels like the fifteenth century: I Tarocchi Rosenwald restored by Marco Benedetti, with hand-folded paper borders (Bordi...
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Is the Visconti-Sforza Popess a Heretic?
A sister of the Umiliati Order in Milan, Maifreda da Pirovano, was burnt at the stake for heresy in 1300. Many historians believe this card from the Visconti-Sforza Tarot is her portrait. When the...
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The Adam C. de Hautot Tarot Restored by Sullivan Hismans
The Adam C. de Hautot Tarot is another beautiful and historically important deck from the Tarot Sheet Revival workshop of Sullivan Hismans. This deck is an early representative of the Rouen-Brussels...
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Tarocchi Francesi (The Anonymous Tarot de Paris) Restored by Il Museo dei...
One of the oldest complete French decks that still exists, the very quirky Tarot de Paris was printed in Paris about 1650. Only one example has survived—a complete deck in the Bibliothèque Nationale...
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The Fifteenth-Century Charles VI Deck Recreated by Marco Benedetti
In fifteenth-century Italy, wealthy aristocrats indulged themselves with luxurious, hand painted, gold-embossed Trionfi decks. The decks came in two distinct families: those commissioned by the...
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Tarot Marco Benedetti: Visconti Homage Deck
Twenty-five years ago, Marco Benedetti painted a heavenly homage to the Visconti-Sforza deck in tempera on gold leaf. A few years ago, he offered his deck to the public on Gamecrafter, and as a custom...
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The Agnolo Hebreo Devil Card
The most unique single reproduction card in my collection is the Devil card printed by Agnolo Hebreo (Angelo the Jew) shortly after 1500 and now residing in the British Museum. It was undoubtedly part...
View ArticleInterview: Sherryl Smith and Justin Michael
Here’s a Youtube video of Justin Michael and myself in conversation a few months ago. In the first 30 minutes, I talk about my 50+ years involvement with tarot and how our understanding of tarot...
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Budapest Bounty: Three Recreations of an Ancient Tarot
I’ve always been intrigued by the few remnants of fifteenth-century block-printed decks that still exist. They hold tantalizing clues to the early days of tarot, so I’m thrilled that there are three...
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Tarot History on Youtube
Marco Benedetti and myself in a conversation moderated by Justin Michael. We talk about tarot’s Italian origins and show off lots of decks from our collections. Here’s a chance to see historic deck...
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Edoardo Dotti Tarot Published by Giordano Berti
Attention, lovers of the Soprafino tarot. This elegant deck published by Giordano Berti is an essential. I’m completely enchanted by the graceful lines, rich colors, and smooth, sturdy cardstock. The...
View ArticleTarot-Heritage Tenth Anniversary Roundup: Reading Tips
Celebrating my website’s tenth anniversary: 174 blog articles and 42 website pages on tarot history, reading with non-scenic pips, and decks of historic significance. Throughout the summer, I’m going...
View ArticleTarot-Heritage Tenth Anniversary Roundup: Tarot de Marseille Books
Celebrating my website’s tenth anniversary: 174 blog articles and 42 website pages on tarot history, reading with non-scenic pips, and decks of historic significance. Throughout the summer, I’m going...
View ArticleTarot-Heritage Tenth Anniversary Roundup: Spreads and Techniques
Celebrating my website’s tenth anniversary: 174 blog articles and 42 website pages on tarot history, reading with non-scenic pips, and decks of historic significance. Throughout the summer, I’m going...
View ArticleTarot-Heritage Tenth Anniversary Roundup: Piedmont Decks
Celebrating my website’s tenth anniversary: 174 blog articles and 42 website pages on tarot history, reading with non-scenic pips, and decks of historic significance. Throughout the summer, I’m going...
View ArticleTarot-Heritage Tenth Anniversary Roundup: The Soprafino Style
Celebrating my website’s tenth anniversary: 174 blog articles and 42 website pages on tarot history, reading with non-scenic pips, and decks of historic significance. Throughout the summer, I’m going...
View ArticleTarot-Heritage Tenth Anniversary Roundup: The Visconti-Sforza Tarot
Celebrating my website’s tenth anniversary: 174 blog articles and 42 website pages on tarot history, reading with non-scenic pips, and decks of historic significance. Throughout the summer, I’m going...
View ArticleTarot-Heritage Tenth Anniversary Roundup: Odds and Ends
Winding down my website’s tenth anniversary summer celebration. Even here in sunny Santa Barbara, where weather rarely happens, I can feel a subtle shift in the air as we head toward autumn. To finish...
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Marco Benedetti’s Personal Visconti
The Visconti-Sforza deck is a hybrid mash-up of sixty-eight original cards painted by Bonifacio Bembo about 1450, six cards that were created by a different artist around 1475, and four cards that are...
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Gold Foil Visconti-Sforza Deck by Lo Scarabeo
One of my favorite Visconti-Sforza decks has just been re-issued — seventy-eight cards in sparkling gold foil published by Lo Scarabeo. Unfortunately the gold doesn’t scan well; but trust me, it’s...
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