Whether we believe that tarot cards have supernatural powers or not, we all think of tarot cards primarily as tools for divination. Although it may seem as if it has played a cultural role since time immemorial, its specific usage actually dates back to the 18th century. They were first used for a game known as playing cards. Tarocchi in Italy during the Renaissance. That was the original purpose of the oldest tarot cards in the Victoria and Albert Museum’s collection. The tarot cards can be viewed as curator Ruth Hibbard opens the box. video above. Over the course of 15 minutes, Hibberd and two colleagues also “unpacked” five other decks created over Tarot’s 50-year history.
These include some from the early 18th century. mince arte deckthe name refers to a slightly more complex Florentine card game that evolved along with Tarot. The word itself probably originates from the term: Sumintiare“to play your best cards” (though it has a quite different meaning in today’s Sicilian dialect).
Then, around 1807, Le Petit Oracle des Dames“Female Petit Oracle,” the first deck of the video was created explicitly for cartomancy, or prediction of the future by cards, although only as a form of light entertainment for a gathering of women. Ten or twenty years later, something luxurious came out. tarocco soprafinoGorgeous illustrations are drawn using copperplate engravings and colored stencils.
The V&A also has an early 20th century tarot deck with rich, vibrant art created by occultist Pamela Colman-Smith, whose work has previously been featured in Open Culture. “What’s great about these cards is that they’re so rich in mythology, symbolism, and layered meaning that you can read them in so many different ways,” says curator Becky Billingham. This also applies to the more themed decks that follow. This deck is an early 2000s example of the tarot art’s mission to “reveal the secret knowledge and hidden forces at work in the world” into the digital century. Computers, drones, Aldous Huxley, World Wars, and the World Wide Web. Perhaps these cards show us the future, but certainly give us a clear view of our present.
Related content:
Meet the forgotten female artist behind the world’s most popular tarot deck (1909)
Check out the Sola Baska Tarot Deck. The oldest complete set of tarot cards (1490)
Carl Jung talks about the power of tarot cards: Tarot cards offer a door to the unconscious and perhaps a way to predict the future
Salvador Dali’s tarot cards reissued: occultism meets surrealism in a classic tarot card deck
Alejandro Jodorowsky explains how tarot cards can provide creative inspiration
Sacred Deck: A Visual History of the Tarot: The first comprehensive study of Tarot is published by Taschen
Based in Seoul, Colin Mbemust write and broadcastIt’s about cities, languages and cultures. His projects include the Substack newsletter books about cities and a book Stateless City: A Stroll Through Los Angeles in the 21st Century. Follow him on the social network formerly known as Twitter. @Colinbemust.
Source: Open Culture – www.openculture.com
