€ 16,95
36 cards based on an 18th-century design by the Dondorf printing house. Not tarot, but cartomancy: fortune-telling with playing cards as it was done centuries ago. Everyday scenes from that period, still usable for readings today.
A functional historical deck for those learning or collecting classic card reading traditions.
Only 6 left in stock
Long before tarot became popular, people read fortunes with ordinary playing cards. That is cartomancy. This deck brings that tradition back with a reproduction of a historical design by the Dondorf printing house from the 18th century.
The cards show coloured illustrations of everyday scenes: farmers, merchants, musicians, soldiers. Each suit has its own character. Spades lean darker, hearts lighter. The style is naive and direct, as you often see in early folk art.
This is not a polished tarot deck. The illustrations are somewhat stiff, with flat colours and simple compositions. That fits the period in which they were made.
Each suit of playing cards has its own theme. The aces and court cards carry the most symbolism. The pip cards are quieter, with repeated motifs. The guidebook explains how to read that symbolism within the cartomancy tradition.
The format is 70 x 120 mm, slightly narrower than standard tarot cards. That makes them easy to shuffle, even with smaller hands.
Cartomancy uses fewer cards than tarot and works with different structures. No Major Arcana, no elaborate landscapes. Instead you learn to combine the meanings of the suits, the numbers and the court cards.
The guidebook describes several classic spreads and gives basic interpretations for each card. Enough to start with, but it does ask you to make your own connections.
Try a simple three-card reading with this deck first before using larger spreads. The more limited symbolism asks for a different way of reading than you might be used to from tarot.
Pierluca Zizzi is an Italian game designer with a passion for historical card games. For this project he worked with archive material from the Dondorf printing house to reproduce the original designs as accurately as possible.
What is the difference between cartomancy and tarot?
Cartomancy uses ordinary playing cards instead of tarot cards. The system is older and more compact: 36 cards instead of 78. The symbolism is more direct and less abstract. You read with the suits, numbers and court cards, without Major Arcana.
Can I use this deck if I am only familiar with tarot?
Yes, but it requires a different approach. The guidebook explains the basics, but you will have to discover for yourself how the cards relate to each other. No elaborate landscapes or symbolism as in Rider-Waite.
| Auteur | Pierluca Zizzi |
| ISBN | 7445931195129 |
| Uitgeverij | |
| Taal | English |
| SKU | 0689-AC01 |
Since 1999, Tarot.nl has been the trusted source for the largest collection of cards in the Benelux. As a Dutch family business, we personally select every deck based on quality and character.
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