The Byzantine Tarot

By John Matthews and Cilla Conway (of the Intuitive Tarot) is scheduled to be published in May 2015.

From what little I could find about this deck, I am truly excited by what I see. It appears to be gold embossed and rather blingy. Yes, I'm a sucker for a pretty face. I am hoping the minors are not just pip cards, but even if they are, I will be getting this deck.

Would you have a link?

I found this: http://ak-agency.myds.me/ak/?p=1269

It looks beautiful - but a bit westernized from an aesthetic point of view. I love Byzantine culture and this tarot deck looks wonderful.

Westernized? I sure would never know. But the art does look good. I like Byz culture, too.

This looks promising. The style loosely reminds me of the Visconti.

*Byzantine* stand for orthodox/eastern iconography!^^ facepalm for some reason I don't feel ok with saints/icons in my tarot deck!XD (Oracle is fine!^^ )))

Nemia said:

I found this: http://ak-agency.myds.me/ak/?p=1269

It looks beautiful - but a bit westernized from an aesthetic point of view. I love Byzantine culture and this tarot deck looks wonderful.

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Thank you for posting this.

There is also this:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1859063918/ref=nosim/aeclectic/

reall said:

*Byzantine* stand for orthodox/eastern iconography!^^ facepalm for some reason I don't feel ok with saints/icons in my tarot deck!XD (Oracle is fine!^^ )))

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It's interesting that you would feel that way. I tend to see traditional tarot decks as filled with Christian iconic images.

Byzantine art does not only mean depictions of saints. There are also portraits of rulers (most famous Theodora and Justinian in Ravenna's San Vitale Church and the Emperors in Hagia Sophia mosaics) and some illuminated books of secular content (Vienna Dioscurides).

But most of the art is religious, i.e. Russian or Greek Orthodox or some other Eastern branch of Christianity.

What I meant with "Westernized": many Byzantine figures seem to "float" in space on their toes. The feet are shown from above, not in perspective. It's one of the things that Western critics found disturbing. It seems that in the Byzantine tarot, the feet are planted firmly on the ground.

But it's actually impossible to generalize. Early Byzantine mosaics often use clear outlines that flatten the image (San Apollinare Nuovo). Book illuminations use less outlines, for technical reasons, and some are quite Classical in style (Paris Psalter). Later Byzantine mosaics are very elegant and show elongated figures (Kariye Camii).

I love Byzantine art, it's stylized, hieratic and highly symbolic. It influenced Western art via early Renaissance artists like Simone Martini. So lovers of Kat Black's Golden should like the style.

I can't judge from the two images I saw but it seems that this is going to be a wonderful deck.

Although I would have preferred actual authentic art rather that recreations, it does bring back memories of Istanbul. I eagerly await to see more cards, even though I will most likely not buy it.

desertrat said:

Thank you for posting this.

There is also this:
http://www.amazon.com/Byzantine-Tar...id=1414505150&sr=1-1&keywords=byzantine+tarot



It's interesting that you would feel that way. I tend to see traditional tarot decks as filled with Christian iconic images.

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probably wrong translation!^^ )) in my language icon/ikona is special sort of painting http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icon btw I prefer modern and classic art over religious/old!^^ )))

@Nemia I agree with your definition!^^ but rulers are often canonized/declared saint!^^(and other noble persons!^^))) tnx for pointing out that characteristic of W style!^^ didn't know that!^^)))