Arlecchino’s Augmented Arcana is an 84-card tarot deck that expands on the Tarocchino Arlecchino. Like the original deck, the cards feature original Harlequin illustrations, inspired by costumes and stories from throughout the character’s colorful history. The compositions are modeled after the 62-card Bolognese tarocchino deck, but I have added new pip cards in the same style to each suit to “complete” the 78-card tarot. The deck also includes six bonus cards: Prudence, the three Theological Virtues, and two Significators.
You can also view the images and descriptions online, on the pages below.
NOTE: There is currently an issue with the images on these pages. You may get an error message. I am working to resolve this as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience!
More About the Cards
Tarocchino Arlecchino is the project as I originally intended to present it. I knew that the unusual number of cards and the Etteilla keywords would probably reduce the mass appeal (though I feel an Etteilla revival in the air!). However, this was what I had in mind from the start, and changing it would give me no satisfaction.
But now that the Tarocchino is out in the world, I am happy to offer this alternative edition. Since the deck is distributed through download and print-on-demand, for the first time I can easily create different versions while keeping the original. Adding the new cards was also a great opportunity to practice extending this style and study the different Italian decks!
Many thanks to everyone who has supported this project over the years: to all who pledged on Kickstarter, sent encouraging messages and interesting questions, and helped make me think this project was worth sharing at all!
What about Etteilla?
Tarocchino Arlecchino has keywords on every card, based on the Etteilla decks. To assign keywords, I carefully combined the systems of the Petit Etteilla and the Grand Etteilla, along with a bit more Bolognese influence.
When designing the new cards, I considered publishing an “expansion” for the Tarocchino Arlecchino. However, just as you can’t just add cards to a Petit Etteilla piquet deck and get a Grand Etteilla tarot deck, this just would not work. I believe that Tarocchino Arlecchino is complete by itself. Many of the cards in the minor arcana carry meanings that in the Grand Etteilla would be assigned to the lower numbered pips that are not present. To add those cards back in, you would either get redundant meanings, or a system that had very little relation to Etteilla. However, if you are interested in adding titles and keywords in the style of the Tarocchino Arlecchino, I am happy to share my layout files with you (a GIMP file and a CSV). Just send me a message!