Das La Fontaine Tarock · Carlson Fable Collection

Title: Das La Fontaine Tarock
Description: 1980 Das La Fontaine-Tarock des Leipziger Kaufmanns Peter Friedrich Ulrich. Double boxed. Leipzig: Hermann Haack. Clarence Peterson, Lakewood, CO, through eBay, April, '11. Extra copy from Robin Bledsoe, Boston, July, '16.

Taroc developed in Italy, apparently as early as the 1300's. It used a pack of 73 or 74 cards: the 52 we have come to call standard plus 21 or 22 tarot cards as trumps. This deck has the clown as the first of those 21 and then fables as the other 20. It has four picture cards in each suit plus 10 plain cards; the accompanying booklet explaining the history of this deck claims that this deck contains 78 cards, but I believe that the total is really 77. The date of the original pack of cards seems to be about 1780. This is a pleasant facsimile done in the German Democratic Republic. 2¼" x 4¼". Click on any one of the lower three images -- of cards -- to see it enlarged.
Date: 1980
Source: Clarence Peterson, Lakewood, CO, through eBay, April, '11. Extra copy from Robin Bledsoe, Boston, July, '16.
Subject: Cards See all items with this value; Tarot Cards
See all items with this value; Das La Fontaine Tarock
See all items with this value