Card dimensions

1
Hello, forum!

I'm curious to learn about what decision-making went into the size of Tarot cards -- say, for example, into those of the Tarot de Marseilles.

From what little I can gather, cards were made according to a 2:1 (height to width) ratio, very roughly speaking. (I'm surprised given the nature of the cards that they weren't printed on golden rectangles.)

One would expect that early Tarot cards would correspond in round numbers to some exact system of measurement. I haven't been able to find any consistent information on the measurement system used, for example, in the south of France -- or in northern Italy, for that matter.

Also: I would be very surprised if the thinking that went into the design of early Tarot cards wasn't in some way akin to that of early book design:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canons_of_ ... nstruction

Cheers!

Re: Card dimensions

2
Kaplan Tarot Encyclopedia I gives different card sizes from very small to very large, at p. 9.

There are cards, that have 1:2 relation, but others not. It just depends, what the producer found suitable, or what the regulations of different states or cities said, if there were any.
Huck
http://trionfi.com

Re: Card dimensions

3
Hi hochichi!

I just came across your post by accident and found this statement in it:

"I'm surprised given the nature of the cards that they weren't printed on golden rectangles."

THAT is the very right thinking!
And indeed they WERE - but not everybody noticed it.

Let me show you to a link on dropbox.
There are the JPGs from a converted PDF I made for posting here - but for the life of me I can not get the pictures posted.
If you are up to it I could very much like a hand with that.

link to the JPG:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/54973klyvp0gd ... 3.jpg?dl=0

When you down-load it you can see much better. (2479 x 3508 / 661 KB)
And it would be nice if you could tell me whether the link worked. Thank you.

All the best

Adrian

Re: Card dimensions

4
Adrian Goldwetter wrote: There are the JPGs from a converted PDF I made for posting here - but for the life of me I can not get the pictures posted.
If you are up to it I could very much like a hand with that.
You link does work.

You have to transfer your content to real .jpg-files ... if you wish to make it working here. You can do it with a snapshot-program.

.. like this ...



Possibly this works for you ... I don't know it:
http://snapshot.en.softonic.com/download
Huck
http://trionfi.com

Re: Card dimensions

5
Thank you SO MUCH Huck!

I'll try right away! I thought they were already "transmutated" to REAL JPGs because they show that in the file-name-ending?

OK - I'll try to do that.

And if you read the text on THAT page you posted you see a very dumb "spelling" error I made there and just now detected it.
I hereby humbly apologize for that!

On the bottom about the "miswritten" numerals. They must obviously read...
IIII - ***VIIII*** - XIIII - XVIIII
...like EVER!

Thanks again

Adrian
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