Publication Facts and Rating (0 to 5 stars) "At-a-Glance"

Publisher: Italcards
Publication Year: 1988
Number of cards: 78
Quality of artwork -- 4 stars
Usefulness for meditation/pathworking -- 1 1/2 stars
Readability (Divination) -- 2 stars
Symbology -- 1/2 star
Value to Collectors -- 5 stars

General Commentary
Published in a limited edition of 3,000 numbered copies, this 1988 tarot from Italcards by prolific tarot artist Amerigo Folchi is apparently a little-known gem. People familiar with some of Folchi's other works, such as the "Tarocco di Amerigo Folchi" and "Omaggio a Erte" decks, will recognize his trademark ornamentation and use of bright, vibrant colors. It is artistically appealing, and succeeds in what it sets out to do: capture the excitement and the "Commedia dell'Arte" flavor of the famous annual Carnival.

As a collector, this deck is one of the prides-and-joys of my tarot library. I purchased it in 1988 during a trip to Venice, not realizing at the time that it was a limited edition deck. Since I began compiling my list of Internet tarot resources two years ago, I have never seen even a passing reference to this tarot. I have never found it for sale on either the primary or secondary retail market, nor have I seen it offered through any of the on-line auction sites (although granted, my searches have been skewed toward English-language sources). The complete lack of information on this deck indicates, perhaps, that it is very rare, or has been entirely forgotten, or both. Its inaccessibility is lamentable, as this tarot makes a nice deck for comparing to other decks that rely, to some degree or another, on costumed figures to provide much of their "flavor." In a comparative analysis, this deck would fare well when compared and contrasted to such decks as Martin's Masquerade Tarot, Castelli's Tarot Art Nouveau, and Kuykendal's Tarot of the Cat People. The artwork is by turns simple, striking, and comical. While I have never had the opportunity to visit Venice during Carnival time, I do know that many of the cards succeed in capturing the look and feel of the city itself.

But it is, first and foremost, a collector's deck. By the artist's own admission, it does not attempt to encompass any deep symbolism; in the accompanying booklet, Folchi writes, "Sometimes the esoteric symbology is latent and replaced by an ironical and joking atmosphere which I have used, in particular cases, as a metaphor of divination itself. The reader shall therefore keep to each single caption and to my interpretation hints listed below." The deck may have some use as a divination or meditation tool; the flamboyant characters and colorful backgrounds may provide a certain spark for the imagination. But the obvious focus of this deck is on its theme and the artistry of its rendering. Tarot readers may pooh-pooh this deck as being too whimsical, but any serious collector would be well advised to grab a copy if given the opportunity.

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Guest review copyright 2000 by Jeannette Roth
Used with permission