Ship of Fools Tarot: Based on the Art of Sebastian Brant's Narrenschiff [Cards]

This deck is not for someone who likes color. These drawings are wonderful and neutral in color. They are very Medieval in style and done by the late Brian Williams, who is one of my favorite Tarot card artists. If you are not a beginner and collect Tarot cards or are looking for something unusual - this deck is great.

It was once explained to me that the Fool card, as zero, could come at the end of the Major Arcana, after the World, as much as at the beginning in front of the Magician. In a sense, the Fool is between each of the other cards. So why not a deck of just fools?

The photographer Diane Arbus said that she believed there were things no one would be able to see unless she photographed them. In her case, that was clearly true, and the mark of a great artist is to be able to see what no one else can, and then communicate it to the rest of us. Brian Williams was able to find the Tarot deck hidden in Sebastian Brandt's "Narrenschiff." As a collection of iconic images, anyone looking for particular Tarot cards will find examples everywhere, but finding an entire deck takes more time and a great deal of work. Especially in the case of "Narrenschiff," the Tarot correspondences are not immediately apparent, and Williams had to subtly alter many of the images to bring them closer to Tarot iconography. Brandt, of course, never intended to create anything even remotely resembling a Tarot deck.

The accompanying book is invaluable in that each card is shown with the "Narrenschiff" image it was based on, along with the corresponding Waite-Smith and Tarot de Marseilles cards as the standards. Williams kept several "Narrenschiff" images intact, and in a few cases, copied the Waite-Smith image when no "Narrenschiff" picture was applicable. Meanings are traditional, but with a twist - for example, the Three of Swords is not devastating heartbreak so much as a love affair gone awry.

The card backs have two wands and two swords in an "X" pattern, with the cups and pentacles in the spaces between the "arms." The deck is monochrome, with all images in dark brown line drawing on a light brown background, far more pleasing than black on white.

The end result is a deck unlike any other - artistically fascinating, and conducive to interpretations that may take different directions than expected.

Firstly, I am not a reader or tarot enthusiast. I purchased the Ship of Fools by Brian Williams purely for the art. This deck is based on the late 15th century work "Narrenschiff" by Sebastian Brant. Four out of Five stars. Why? I wasn't really thrilled with the "playing card" feel of the deck. Other than that...

The Late Mr. Williams was a wonderful artist and stayed true to the spirit of the original art of the "Ship of Fools". If there was a deviation from the original work, Mr. Williams explained why he made the choices that he did as well as compared the design with other well known tarot decks.

The cards are a delight to look upon; crisp and clean lines with love and humor thrown in. It is a worthy final work for a man who dedicated much of his life and career to the study of the art and history of tarot. The book is nicely compose and a quick read, the perfect accompaniment to the cards.