Help me identify this deck

[fyreflye]

I was in my local used bookstore today and came across a deck I'd never seen before. No box, no lwb, no filler cards. Rather large and narrow, 3" x 5¼" on stiff unlaminated, or lightly laminated, stock. The suits are standard except cups have become hearts. The cards are elaborately decorated and the human figures resemble 19th century lithographs. The Trumps have elaborate borders topped by an arrangement of different flowers for each card. The backs are mostly cream white with two small gold hearts point to point, four stars, two swords and two wands arranged around the hearts. Unfortunately, I don't have a scanner. Any ideas?

Oh, and...it was $7 and I bought it.

 

[nisaba]

If there was no box, how were the cards held together? Were there 78? Where the pips unillustrated or illustrated?

 

[zan_chan]

can you upload pictures taken with a cell-phone camera?

 

[Amary]

From the backs, it sounds like the Enchanted tarot.

http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/enchanted/

Is that it?

 

[Cerulean]

Backs on this page and dimensions

http://www.learntarot.com/endesc.htm

This is a collage deck, though. Pretty and worth the seven dollars in 'first edition.' A book goes with it and I've seen at used bookstores they will sell the book only with colored pictures.

If it is the Enchanted, there's more than a few sites that will sell the book separately, I believe.

Best,

Cerulean

 

[fyreflye]

From the backs, it sounds like the Enchanted tarot.

http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/enchanted/

Is that it?

Yes. Not the Zerner-Farber, since mine has borders and is larger. I was so mesmerized by the imagery that it wasn't until a few minutes ago I noticed a tiny ©1990 Amy Zerner at the bottom right on the cards and had my vital clue. I didn't beat you to it but I did figure it out on my own

 

[fyreflye]

If there was no box, how were the cards held together? Were there 78? Where the pips unillustrated or illustrated?

(1.Two rubber bands; one across, the other top to bottom. (2. I always assemble the complete deck in order before I buy and I won't buy a deck with missing cards. (3. See Amary's link for the answer to your third question.

 

[Amary]

Whoohoo! I feel like I just earned my tarot-cred.

I got my Enchanted much the same way- unlabelled in a used bookstore for $8. Mine was in a velvet bag, though.

 

[fyreflye]

http://www.learntarot.com/endesc.htm

This is a collage deck, though. Pretty and worth the seven dollars in 'first edition.' A book goes with it and I've seen at used bookstores they will sell the book only with colored pictures.

If it is the Enchanted, there's more than a few sites that will sell the book separately, I believe.

Best,

Cerulean

Thanks, Mari

Amazon has good condition copies of the hard cover (which I assume is the one with color pictures) for $4.99. The set itself is still in print and Tarot Garden sells it for $30. I imagine the current set includes the paperback reprint not the original hard cover.