by Sylvie Simon
 
The origins of the tarot have been traced by some authorities as far back as pharaonic Egypt. The earliest deck that is known today was executed for the ducal house of Milan in 1428 to celebrate the marriage of Branca-Maria Visconti and Francesco Sforza.
 
Many of the cards from that hand-painted deck are among the exquisite reproductions in the Tarot. More than 85 fine art reproductions (60 in full color) of past and present tarot decks are include din this work, affirming not only the symbolic power of the cards but also their significant place in Western Art.