Nicoletta Ceccoli Tarot mini - surrealist fairy tales in pocket size
Nicoletta Ceccoli's cards look like they belong in a children's book, until you look longer. Then you see what sits beneath the porcelain surface: melancholy, duality, confronting emotions. This is the mini edition of her tarot deck: 78 cards, small enough to slip into your bag.
The deck is published by Lo Scarabeo. The cards measure 43 by 79 millimetres, are printed on sturdy cardstock and have a glossy finish. All the details of Ceccoli's work remain visible, even in this format.
What you see on the cards
Nicoletta Ceccoli works with figures that look childlike but are emotionally complex. A girl with scissors. A boy holding his heart. Dolls that come to life. The images sit between fairy tale and nightmare.
Her style is instantly recognisable: soft colours, pale skin, large eyes. The atmosphere is dreamlike, sometimes slightly unsettling. She follows the structure of the Rider-Waite-Smith deck but translates the archetypes into her own surrealist world.
That makes this a difficult deck for complete beginners. The images do not immediately tell you what the card means. You have to do something with them.
What this format does
A mini deck does not read the same way as a standard format. It asks for more closeness. You take it with you more easily, use it more quickly for one or two cards. It feels intimate.
The cards shuffle easily. They are sturdy enough for daily use. The glossy surface holds up well, though it may show wear at the edges over time.
Draw one card in the morning and place it next to your coffee. The images are rich enough to carry with you all day.
About Nicoletta Ceccoli
Nicoletta Ceccoli is an Italian illustrator whose work has been exhibited in galleries around the world. Her best-known work outside tarot is found in children's books, though her style always has a dark undercurrent.
She paints in digital media but retains a hand-painted feel. Her characters look as though they are made of porcelain: fragile and unreal at the same time.
Specifications
- Number of cards: 78
- Card size: 43 x 79 mm
- Material: cardstock with glossy finish
- Guidebook language: multilingual
- Publisher: Lo Scarabeo
- ISBN: 9788865276563
- Artist: Nicoletta Ceccoli
Questions we often get
Do the details remain visible in this small format?
Yes. The print quality is good. You see the expressions on faces, the folds in clothing, the small symbols Ceccoli hides. You sometimes need to look a bit closer, but the image quality holds up.
How does this deck differ from a classic Rider-Waite-Smith deck?
The structure is the same: 22 major arcana, 56 minor arcana divided across four suits. But the visual language is completely different. Where RWS uses clear symbols, Ceccoli works with atmosphere and emotion. You cannot simply read the traditional meanings from the card.
