Tarocco Indovino
by Sergio Ruffolo
 
This older, imported deck from Dal Negro is probably the most interesting packaging design I've seen in a long time.  At first glance, there is a cardboard slipsleeve that covers a long brown plastic box.  The lid on the box pivots open and the cards nest inside.  The box is almost 8 inches long, which would lead you to assume the cards were long and narrow, but the cards are smaller than standard playing cards.  Over one third of the box's length is taken up by the lid's pivot mechanism.
 
Once you figure out the box and get to the cards, things are a lot more straightforward.  The artwork is reminiscent of playing card art, as well as the classic Marseille style.  However, this deck is not a Marseille style deck.  Colors are done in a muted earthtone palette, and the artwork is good, interesting.  Symbolism looks to be derived from Etteilla decks.  There is a general gaming card look to the deck, and I am sure there are tarot card games that it is excellent for that I don't know how to play.
 
The Major Arcana are titled traditionally, with a couple of variations on a theme.  For example, instead of the Wheel of Fortune, there is just Fortune.  Judgement is replaced by the Angel.  Ordering is also traditional.  Justice is 8 and Strength 11.  All the titles are given in Italian, in small black print in the upper left hand corner.  Images are shown against open white backgrounds with no borders, giving the feeling of outdoors and a lot of fresh air.  Arabic numerals for each card appear in little black "bowling ball" circles in the lower lefthand corner.
 
When it comes to the Minor Arcana, I can't help but be reminded of Etteilla's designs in some part.  Cards have full scenes on all the court cards and numbered cards; there are no pips.  Even the Aces have figures and scenes on them, instead of just the Ace item and hand or similar.  In fact, a lot of figures dominate the cards, and each one has been assigned a one-word divinatory meaning, which is printed right on the card in black in the upper left hand corner.  What is interesting is that directly beneath it, in red letters, is the divinatory meaning for when the cards are reversed -- and it's printed upside down!  There is no mistaking when the cards are reversed, but you can immediately read the meaning on it either way.  The numerals for the cards are placed at the bottom left corner in a white "bowling ball" circle, in Arabic numerals.  Interestingly enough, in each suit, the numbers go down at the bottom as you go up in the suit.  Kings are 1, Queens 2, tens are 5 and Aces are 14.
 
The Court Cards in this deck are full scenes also and seem to illustrate more a character trait rather than a figure specifically.  They are titled with appropriate court titles, but they seem to have different association, which is more in keeping with an Etteilla type design.  Court titles appear to be Re (King), Regina (Queen), Cavallo (Knight) and Fante (Page) but the abbreviations used are R, D, C, and F.  I imagine D is for Dama, since they couldn't use R for Re and then again for Regina.  The actual suits in this deck appear to be typical playing card suits; I see Spades, Hearts, Diamonds and Clubs in this deck.  They're even colored red and black like the typical playing card deck.  Of course the little white booklet talks of the court titles and suit titles as Coppe (Cups), Bastoni (Batons or Wands), Spades, and Danari (Coins).
 
The cards themselves are smaller than standard and handle and shuffle easily.  The card stock is standard thickness and there is a light coating on them but it is a matte kind of finish.  They have remained faithful to the playing card type.  The little white booklet which comes with the deck actually has a brown glossy paper cover on it, so it's a little brown booklet?  It's all in Italian, so unless you can read Italian you won't get much of anything out of it.  Still, you can't help but be impressed with the quality of it.
 
Overall, this is a fascinating and different deck for the collector.  I would imagine anyone who is interested in tarot for games (triumps, tarock, etc) would probably see a use for these cards that I am missing.  I can sense they have that kind of usefulness to them.  Historical deck buffs will like the look of this deck even though it is not specifically a historical deck.  Beginners will probably be confused by it.  It is probably only minimally good as a divination deck.
 
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Review Copyright 1999 by Gina M. Pace
 
Tarocco Indovino by Sergio Ruffolo, 1979
published by Dal Negro