The Ship

Playing card: The Ship
Italy, 15th century
Illumination on parchment
H. 16.6 cm ; W. 8.5 cm ; Cl. 23526

This object, by its shape, size, material and technique, resembles the first known Tarot decks created in the Italian princedom of the beginning of the 15th century. The Tarot is one of the first card decks to appear in the Western World. What makes it unique is the addition of special cards, named tarots (or triumphs) to the numeric and honours series. This card has an unusual iconography. A ship and a Latin inscription reveal a rare element in Tarot. Because of the object of the picture, it is thought to be an element of the game of Minchiate, Tarot of Florence, appearing around 1490, where No. 21 is traditionally represented by a ship. This card is particularly important in that it may have been part of a deck rarely seen before modern times.