As most Tarot scholars know, the
Sola Busca Tarot (from around 1490)
is considered the oldest, complete 78 card Tarot deck of the Renaissance era.
It is also the oldest deck in which imaginative scenes grace each card (not only the Majors, but also the pip or ‘numbered’ cards).
It is generally surmised that Pamela Coleman Smith studied this ancient deck while creating the Waite-Smith Tarot cards for Arthur Edward Waite (centuries later - published around 1909.) Just another example of how it was such an influential deck, and continues to intrigue and deserve our research and speculation.
This 2021 publication of the Sola Busca cards,
produced by the Italian Tarot Museum, focuses solely on the Major Arcana of the deck. The cards are rather petite - so perhaps nice
for travel,
as a gift, or a handy reference size at only: 5.25" L x 3" W (13.3 x 7.6 cm). The deck is made
with textured, matte art stock (300 gsm) which lends a tactile, comforting feel.
This deck of Majors comes in an lovely cardboard gift box with the title card on top, and stamped with the Museo dei Tarocchi hot wax seal. The cards are held together with ribbon (or a stretchy gold band), with a dangling silver Tarot charm adding the final touch. This hand-numbered edition is limited to 200 copies, signed by Morena Poltronieri, the director of the Italian Tarot Museum. The back of the cards look similar to the original deck, from 1490-ish, and are therefore reversible (shown below).
The leaflet is in English on one side and Italian on the reverse. It doesn't share individual card meanings and associations as they often do, but rather, gives an overview of the card symbols and historical references unique to this deck, while also highlighting it's hidden meanings pertaining to Alchemy and alchemical art during the Renaissance, which is explored in much more depth in the 150 page book 'Sola Busca Tarot ~ An Alchemical Way in 78 Paths.'
All the cards are displayed in this book, alongside their associated text for easy reference. The Major Arcana images are in color and approximately 3.75 by 2 inches (9.5 x 5 cm.), while the Minor Arcana are B&W and around 2.75 x 1.5 inches (6.985 by 3.81 cm.) Each card description shares details regarding the cryptic symbols hidden in the cards, as well as the significance of colors, number associations and other coded references that relate to the mystical art of alchemy. Details on known history (both political and religious) and/or historical figures featured in the cards are also included when such associations exist (namely the Major Arcana and many of the Court Cards, especially the Queens and Kings). Each card's text shares the alchemical symbolism and coded messages inherent in the image as well as a brief divinatory meaning towards the end of the description. These two offerings (deck and book) are available at a discount if ordered together.
