The Dante Tarot Deck

Measurements: 2.6 x 4.7 inches, or 66 x 120 mm.

Back of card: Muted blues & greens. On the top & bottom, crenellations of a castle wall. On the bottom, sitting inside the wall, a monk writing at a desk. On the top (upside down) & presumably outside the wall, a saddled white horse. Not exactly symmetric, but may be inverted.

Book included: No. As with many Lo Scarabeo decks, there is a long sheet, folded into panes. There are 14 panes, each measuring 2.65 x 4.8 inches, or 67 x 121 mm.

Publisher: Lo Scarabeo. Cards printed in Italy. Imported by Llewellyn Worldwide.

Comments: Notes to this deck state (correctly) that Dante Alighieri, 1265 - 1321, predated the tarot by a full century. This deck is based on his Divine Comedy.

Suits:

Bricks, aka Wands, "portray situations & characters that had the greatest importance in Dante Alighieri's life."
Flames, aka Swords, "present the main episodes described .... in the canticles of the Inferno."
Clouds, aka Pentacles, "show the critical moments of Purgatorio"
Lights, aka Chalices, "regard the more symbolic stops during the ascension into heaven in Paradiso."

(One would have expected Bricks to be Pentacles, Flames to be Wands, Clouds to be Chalices, Lights to be Swords. Must pay attention when using this deck.)

Face cards are the usual Knave, Knight, Queen & King.

Major Arcana:

0 - Need
1 - Intellect
2 - Philosophy
3 - Wisdom
4 - Government
5 - Hope
6 - Love
7 - Direction
8 - Justice
9 - Prudence
10 - Luck
11 - Strength
12 - Charity
13 - Death
14 - Moderation
15 - Authority
16 - Virtue
17 - Thrones
18 - Angels
19 - Domination
20 - Archangels
21 - Principalities

Note that Angels, Archangels, Thrones & Principalities are names of ranges of angels & other heavenly hosts.

This is a striking deck, though, truthfully, I found it rather abstract & difficult to comprehend.

Titles on the cards are given in English, Italian, French, Spanish, German & Dutch. This is the first time I can recall Dutch on a card. Instructions for the cards sold in America are in English only.

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