Encyclopedia of Tarot
From Tarotpedia
Contents |
[edit] Author(s)
Stuart Kaplan (with Jean Huets for volume IV)
[edit] Publication details
- Volume I: ISBN 0913866113
- Volume II: ISBN 0913866369
- Volume III: ISBN 0880791225
- Volume IV: ISBN 157281506X
[edit] date of publication
- Volume I: 1978 (387 pages)
- Volume II: 1986 (552 pages)
- Volume III: 1990 (694 pages)
- Volume IV: 2005 (802 pages)
[edit] publisher
[edit] Description
The Encyclopedia of Tarot has provided the growing community of Tarot users, historians, collectors and deck designers with an invaluable resource since its inception.
[edit] Structure
The volumes, appearing as they have in succeeding decades, have maintained a commonality of overall structure and presentation that is both broad and at times frustrating, requiring a search across volumes to supplement information contained about a singular deck. This is, of course, partly a consequence of the manner in which Kaplan has chosen to deliver his subject, and the vast growth that has occurred in academic research, deck design and publication, and documents pertaining to Tarot. Right from Volume II, a new edition of the then single Encyclopedia would have seen it expanded to two volumes, with relatively little change in the information contained in the first volume. The option to therefore add a second volume containing missing information undoubtedly proved an easier and possibly apparently better overall alternative to many, to the detriment of the current four volumes as they now stand as a set.
[edit] Volume I
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Published in 1978, Volume I has been described as a 'ground-breaking' book on Tarot. Not since D'Allemagne had such an attempt been made. Kaplan managed to collect and present in one easy to obtain reference most significant details at the time known. Volume I, as each volume, ranges from history, deck development and also includes a small section on readings. This is also the only volume that has been translated into French. |
[edit] Volume II
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Volume II tends to be somewhat more oriented to historically significant factors and the symbolism found on the early cards. This has tended to be the volume most often referred to by those who focus their study on early decks. As well, Volume II covers decks published since the first volume and decks omitted in the first volume. |
[edit] Volume III
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Volume III covers decks that had not included in either of the first two volumes. This volume also includes an essay on Pamela Colman Smith ('Pixie', the artist behind the Waite-Colman Smith deck). |
[edit] Volume IV
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Volume IV, published in 2005, again updates omissions from the previous three volumes. In addition, the section of Egyptian style decks appears to be a major overview of the development of the genre. |
[edit] Author's comments
To be added
[edit] Author's website
[edit] Reviews
- Tarot Passages Review of Vol. 1-3 by Michele Jackson
- Tarot Passages Review of Vol. 1-3 by Nina Lee Braden
- Aeclectic Tarot Review of Vol. 4 by Solandia
- Building a Tarot Library
