Uncut sheet of partial Minchiate tarot deck by François de Poilly
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
Paris, ca. 1660
The sheet measures 194 x 184 mm and contains five individual engraved playing cards, each accented with delicate hand-coloring, alongside a sixth blank space. These cards originate from a deck originally comprised of 97 pieces, representing the oldest known French-suited tarot decks and predating the Animal Tarots of the 1740s.
The designs are notable for their thematic representation of continents through different card suits; for instance, spades designate Africa, while clubs signify the Americas. The cards depicting the Americas are particularly significant for featuring early illustrative images of Native Americans. The iconography includes various court and character figures, such as 'Afrique Cheval' and various 'Amerique' royal and knightly figures, all rendered with sophisticated period engraving techniques typical of 17th-century French printmaking.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Physical characteristics
- Format
- Uncut sheet
- Decoration
- Hand-coloring
- Dimensions
- 194 x 184 mm
Technical characteristics
- Deck type
- Minchiate tarot
- Technique
- Engraving
Design
- Subjects
- Representations of continents including Africa and the Americas, featuring Native American imagery
- Inscriptions
- Afrique Cheval, Amerique Roy, Amerique Dame, Amerique Valet, Amerique Cheval
Identification
- Source note
- Described from a single auction-house listing published on Invaluable (reproduced with Invaluable's permission). Details apply to that one example; other examples of the type may differ, and the listing is supplementary evidence, not authentication.
- Maker named in listing
- François de Poilly
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.