First tarot decks: Visconti-Sforza Tarot

Case : 139. 

The origins of the tarot pack are thought to be Italian, with the oldest surviving examples dating from the mid-15th century in Milan. It is generally thought that the tarot was invented between 1411 and 1425 by adding a fifth suit of cards known as trionfi (triumphs) to the Italian deck. The Visconti-Sforza tarot is used collectively to refer to incomplete sets of approximately 15 decks from this period, now located in various museums, libraries, and private collections around the world. They were commissioned by Filippo Maria Visconti, Duke of Milan, and by his successor Francesco Sforza. The five most famous and nearly complete Renaissance Tarot are Cary-Yale deck, Sola-Busca deck, Brera-Brambilla deck, Pierpont-Morgan Bergamo deck and Charles IV deck. All trump cards have a gilt background, while the pip cards have a silver one. The surviving cards are of particular historical interest because of the beauty of the design, which was often executed in precious materials and often reproduce members of the Visconti and Sforza families in Milan.