Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Uncut Sheet of Tarot Cards
Not on view
Woodblock Cards
Cards produced from woodblocks were by far the most common. Simple in both design and production, the decks were printed from large woodblocks, typically two blocks with twenty-four cards each, then cut from the printed sheet into individual cards. There were, of course, many variations. Most were not colored, but those that were usually were limited to two colors, applied with the aid of stencils. Discarded when worn, few of these ordinary cards have survived. Because woodblocks were used continuously until they were worn or damaged beyond repair, and because they were widely reproduced and replicated, surviving cards may well reflect earlier designs.
Suits: Cups, Swords, Batons, and Coins
14 cards in each suit: King, Queen, Knight, Knave, 10 through 1, plus 21 trump cards (here unknown) and 1 Fool
Left to right, top to bottom:
1 of Swords, Batons, Cups, and Coins;
Knight of Batons and Swords (male);
Knight of Cups and Coins (female);
King of Batons, Swords, Cups, and Coins;
Knave (Centaur) of Coins, Swords, Cups, and Batons;
2–9 of Cups
Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
