Introduction
The Tarot Animal (Animal Tarot) represents a distinct lineage of playing cards that emerged in Central Europe during the mid-18th century. Departing from the allegorical and religious imagery of the Italian tradition (such as the Tarot of Marseilles), this family of decks replaced the traditional Major Arcana with depictions of animals, both real and mythical.
Appearing first in Germany and Denmark around 1750, the style spread rapidly to the Austrian Netherlands (modern-day Belgium), Austria, and beyond. For over a century, these cards were the dominant playing deck for the game of Tarot in these regions, facilitating the transition from Italian-suited cards (Cups, Coins, Swords, Batons) to the French-suited cards (Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds, Spades) that are standard today.
History
Precursors and Origins
While the Tarot Animal crystallized in the 18th century, the practice of incorporating fauna into playing cards has deep roots. One of the oldest surviving near-complete European decks, the Ambraser Hofjagdspiel (Court Hunting Pack of Ambras), dates to circa 1445. Attributed to the painter Konrad Witz of Basel, this luxury deck utilized hunting dogs, falcons, herons, and lures as suit symbols, placing animals at the center of the gaming experience [1] .
However, the specific lineage of the Tarot Animal appears in the historical record three centuries later. The earliest concrete evidence is found in the work of Jean Friedrich Mayer, a cardmaker active in Copenhagen, Denmark, around 1752. Historical analysis suggests Mayer was an immigrant who brought his woodblocks—the carved wooden stamps used for printing outlines—with him to Copenhagen. This implies that production of this style had already commenced elsewhere in Europe prior to Mayer’s arrival in Denmark (Jensen 2008, 180–189; Kaplan 1986, 2:412–415).
The Geography of Invention
Mayer’s origins are the subject of academic debate, which directly impacts the identification of the deck’s birthplace. While his surname is Germanic, his given names suggest a Gallic influence, pointing to the Franco-German borderlands.
- Strasbourg (Alsace): A major hub of card manufacturing, this city is a likely candidate.
- The Austrian Netherlands: Some theories suggest Mayer may have migrated from the Low Countries [2] .
Despite these theories, the consensus among historians favors southern or western Germany as the cradle of the Tarot Animal. This conclusion is supported by the sudden proliferation of various Animal Tarot decks in German territories during the 1750s and 1760s (Mann 1966, 93–94; Dummett 1980, 219).
Diffusion and the Shift to French Suits
The emergence of the Tarot Animal coincided with a technical and cultural shift in Central Europe: the abandonment of Italian suit symbols in favor of French suits. Cardmakers in Bavaria and surrounding regions began producing Tarot decks that retained the 78-card structure (22 trumps, 56 pip cards) but utilized the simpler, solid-colored French pips. This made the cards easier to stencil and more legible for players accustomed to games like Piquet.
By the 1770s, the pattern had spread to Austria, Hungary, Bohemia (modern Czechia), Sweden, and Russia (Keller 1981, 2:12).
- Bavaria: Munich became a production stronghold. Albert Benedictus Göbl, active c. 1765, produced decks there for decades.
- Berlin: Jean Pierre Perrin established production in the Prussian capital by the mid-1770s (Keller 1981, 1:214).
- Italy: In a rare reversal of influence, the German style moved south when Ferdinando Gumppenberg relocated from Munich to Milan around 1807, introducing the Animal Tarot to Italy [3] .
Design Characteristics
The defining feature of the Tarot Animal is the total replacement of the traditional atouts (trumps). Instead of the Pope, the Emperor, or the Hanged Man, players were presented with a bestiary.
The Animal Trumps
Mayer’s foundational design, derived from earlier traditions in the Franco-Swiss borderlands, introduced a novel iconography. The trumps featured a diverse array of creatures including deer, camels, unicorns, lions, monkeys, and crocodiles.
Unlike the standardized numbering of the Tarot of Marseilles, the ordering of animals in these decks was not fixed. Because the cards lacked titles—inscribed names were common in France but absent here—makers felt free to rearrange the sequence of animals [4] . The cards were distinguished by unusually large Roman numerals at both the top and bottom of the card, ensuring legibility regardless of how the card was held.
Insert Image: [A selection of trump cards showing a deer, a unicorn, and a lion from the Etteilla Foundation’s Tarot Animal collection.]
Caption: Examples of the animal trumps from the Tarot Animal by Fabrique de Daveluy (c. 1850). Note the large Roman numerals and lack of titles.
The Fool and The Mountebank
Despite the animal theme, two human figures from the traditional Tarot lineage often remained. The unnumbered trump (The Fool) and the first trump (often depicted as a Mountebank or Magician) were frequently retained as human figures, anchoring the deck to its gaming heritage.
Insert Image: [Two cards side-by-side: one depicting a court jester figure (The Fool) and another a street performer (The Mountebank).]
Caption: Cards equivalent to the Fool and the Mountebank from the Tarot Animal by Daveluy.
Court Cards and Pips
The pip cards (numbered 1 through 10) were generally minimalist, featuring standard French suit symbols. The court cards (King, Queen, Jack/Valet, Knight/Cavalier) borrowed heavily from the standardized “Paris Pattern,” but with unique heraldic twists:
- Shields: The Jacks of Hearts and Clubs often bore shields.
- Attributes: The King of Spades frequently held a harp, while other monarchs wielded sceptres [2] .
Insert Image: [A spread of pip cards (number cards) showing hearts and spades.]
Caption: Examples of pip cards from the Etteilla Foundation’s Tarot Animal by Daveluy.
Insert Image: [Close up of the Jack of Hearts holding a shield and the Queen of Spades holding a sceptre.]
Caption: The Jack of Hearts with a shield and the Queen of Spades holding a sceptre.
Political Variations
The imagery on playing cards often reflected the political climate. In Nuremberg, some makers produced decks where the Queens appeared without crowns. Historians link this design choice to the anxieties surrounding the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–1748) and the controversial legitimacy of Maria Theresa as ruler of the Habsburg lands. This variation serves as further evidence dating the deck’s emergence to the mid-18th century [5] .
The Belgian Tradition (Austrian Netherlands)
A secondary but vital center of production was the Austrian Netherlands—territories encompassing modern-day Belgium and Luxembourg. Following the War of the Spanish Succession, these lands were transferred to Austria in 1714, placing them firmly within the Germanic cultural sphere for the remainder of the 18th century [6] .
Consequently, the German trends in card-making crossed the border seamlessly. By the early 1770s, François-Jean Vandenborre was manufacturing Animal Tarot decks in Brussels that closely mirrored Mayer’s Copenhagen designs (Kaplan 1986, 2:412–415). Other notable makers included:
- Jean-Baptiste Galler (Brussels, 1760s).
- P. A. Keusters (Brussels, c. 1780).
- Philippus-Jacobinus Pharasyn (Ghent).
By the 19th century, these decks were often categorized as “Natural History Tarot.” While the style faded in Bavaria after the Napoleonic wars, it enjoyed a “golden age” in Belgium well into the mid-19th century. The Fabrique de Daveluy in Bruges produced high-quality examples around 1850, utilizing the advancements in printing technology to refine the line work.
The tradition eventually ceased with the Geûens-Seaux partnership (later Geûens-Willaert). Inheriting the designs of Daveluy, they continued production until roughly 1901, marking the end of the classical Animal Tarot era (Keller 1981, 1:76).