Visconti Tarot

👑 Visconti Tarot (Cary-Yale): The Historical and Artistic Genesis of Cartomancy

A 15th-Century Masterpiece: The Deck That Shaped Tradition, Rich in History, Art, and Initiatory Mystery

The Visconti Tarot represents the oldest and most precious testimony to the origins of the Tarot as we know it today. These Visconti-Sforza decks are a collection of masterpieces dating back to the 15th century (the height of the Italian Renaissance) and are universally recognized as likely the origin of later classical decks, particularly the Tarot of Marseilles of the early 18th century, from which most contemporary decks derive.

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The Visconti Tarot The interest in these decks is threefold: historical, artistic, and socio-cultural . The beauty of their illustrations, made with precious materials (often gold and silver), makes them priceless. But their allure also lies in their intimate connection with the two most powerful dynasties that ruled Milan and Lombardy from the 13th century onwards: the Visconti and Sforza families. Indeed, it is believed that many of the figures portray actual members of these noble and influential families.

Visconti Tarot According to Stuart Kaplan , a world-renowned scholar and collector, there are approximately 15 different decks belonging to the Visconti-Sforza group, scattered throughout museums, libraries, and private collections around the world. This dispersion testifies to the rarity and fragmentation of an art that was originally reserved for the elite.

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Visconti Tarot: Focus on the Cary-Yale Deck: The Alleged Progenitor

Visconti Tarot Among the surviving decks, the Visconti Cary-Yale deck holds a position of preeminence and mystery.

The Visconti Tarot: Controversial Origin and Dating

Tarot of the Visconti This specific deck takes its name from the cadet branch of the Visconti family to which it belonged and is also called Cary-Yale because it was part of the prestigious collection of historical playing cards of the Cary family, which in 1967 was transferred to the Beinecke Library of Yale University , where it is preserved.

Tarocchi Dei Visconti It is considered by many scholars to be the oldest deck still in existence, even if the exact dating is difficult and therefore controversial.

• Commissioning Hypothesis: According to some initial hypotheses, it was commissioned by Filippo Maria Visconti (Duke of Milan).

• Revealing Dating: Scholar Giordano Berti dates it with greater certainty to the crucial period between 1442 and 1447. This dating is supported by a crucial iconographic detail: the suit of Coins shows now the obverse , now the reverse of the gold florin minted by Filippo Maria Visconti in 1442 and which remained in use until 1447, the year of the Duke's death.

Unique and Innovative Composition

The Cary-Yale Tarot is also known for its atypical composition, which raises questions about the original organization of the Tarot:

• Surviving Cards: 67 subjects remain from this deck (11 trumps, 17 court cards, and 39 pip cards).

• The Additional Face Cards: A distinctive and crucial element is that the Cary-Yale deck is the only Western deck in which there are 6 face cards and not the traditional 4 (Jack, Knight, Queen, King). In addition to the jack, knight, king, and queen, there are also the damsel and the lady on horseback .

• The Hypothetical Total: If we assume that there were originally 22 trumps (Major Arcana), as in the Pierpont-Morgan deck, the original total number of cards would have been an unusual 86 cards .

Tarot of the Viscontis Art and Luxury: Production Details

Tarot of the Viscontis The manufacturing techniques highlight the luxurious character and the use of rare materials, typical of artifacts commissioned by the nobility.

• Precious Backgrounds: All trumps and court cards have a gold background , a symbol of nobility and sacredness. Conversely, the pip cards in the deck (the suits) have a silver background , maintaining an aura of preciousness.

• Impressive Size: The cards are exceptionally large, measuring approximately $189 \times 90 \text{ mm}$ , nearly twice the size of a modern tarot deck, reflecting their function as objects of display or elite play rather than simple divination.

Studying the Visconti Cary-Yale Tarot means experiencing firsthand the Renaissance origins of the Tarot and its profound connection to 15th-century Italian power and art.