Framed Arrangement of Tarot Cards

Tarot cards find their origins in mid-15th century Italy where, for many years, they were used as playing cards. Any association with magic and fortune-telling didn’t occur until around the 19th Century.

The change in direction for tarot cards can be traced back to Jean-Baptiste Alliette, known by his pseudonym Etteilla. During his lifetime, he had a passion for card reading and pioneered many methods that have now become standard practice. Etteila was fascinated with finding connections between tarot cards and astrology, divination, and fortune-telling. Eventually, he published the first definitive guide for tarot card reading. He also designed and released his own deck of cards. These cards and Etteila’s card reading guide were released during the French Revolution; this new take on Tarot cards would popularized by people looking to find out what the country’s future would be like. 

The luxury version of Etteila’s cards (pictured) was engraved on copper plates and printed with letterpress by Pierre-François Basan. A popular myth that Etteila believed was that the magic of tarot cards originated in Ancient Egypt. Much of the imagery in the cards reflects this ideology. Etteila also designed the arrangement of these cards, mimicking how he believed the tarot cards would’ve been displayed in a temple in Memphis. The title at the top reads “The leaves of the book of Thoth that were placed in the temple of fire at Memphis.”