Piatnik in Austria has added another Celtic tarot to the list of such. It has become rather difficult to find out, which deck is meant by this title, since many different decks are called so. Piatnik's Celtic tarot, which is illustrated by Manuel Gonzales Miranda, has not much to do with Celtic lore or design, the name mainly referring to the back pattern of the deck which, as the booklet tells us, is a pattern based upon a collection of ancient Celtic designs. Well, it might be so, but that just does not justify the name.

The booklet also states, that Mr. Miranda's illustrations are typical Celtic, consisting of only straight or only curved lines - the Sun being an exception. In my opinion, this style should better be called "pseudo-cubism" than Celtic.

Despite these objections, I find the deck rather interesting, and at least different, even if it sticks to the traditional Marseille-style design, at least where the major arcana is concerned. The number cards of the major arcana have the appropriate number of suit signs and are furthermore decorated with vignettes or illustrations (slightly influenced by Pamela Colman Smith), a design, which can be called "decorated number cards".

As a product from a major manufacturer of playing cards, the printing quality and the cardstock used is perfect. The deck comes in a cardboard box. The booklet with text in German and English gives divinatory meanings for all cards and a spread. The few lines on the history of the tarot deck are disastrous.