Genoese Tarot
Tarot. That’s for fortune-telling, right? Not quite!
Invented in Northern Italy in the 15th century, the tarot pack is an extended version of the regular deck of cards. Rather than for fortune-telling, it was originally designed for playing a very special kind of card games — and that’s how it’s still being used in several European countries.
This project brings you a set of tarot cards which are a contemporary tribute to this ancient heritage. The design marries the elegance of the traditional Genoese 40-card deck with the vivid imagery of the iconic Marseilles tarot. While the cards are rich in iconography and historical references, we took great care in ensuring that the deck would be very ergonomic for its main intended purpose: playing tarot card games.
Special acknowledgement goes to Jean Maillard: the Genoese Tarot wouldn’t exist without his ideas, passion, and meticulous research.
Visit sbiro.eu and learn more about traditional Ligurian card games you can play with the Genoese Tarot!
Available for purchase on shop.elettradeganello.com
Photography ©Richard Arturo