Emi's Tarot
Created by Franco Coletti
Major Arcana Deck Published by il Meneghello in 2011
Inspired by the works of Lewis Carroll and little Emi
A Very Limited Edition of Only 100 Sets
Signed & Numbered by the Artist
Illustrated Fairytale Book Became Available (English Translated Version) in 2013
Text Card in Italian (translated to English below)
Card Dimensions: 5.5 inches by 3.5 inches, approximately (14 x 9 cm.)
Cards are Numbered (a couple in Italian)
Card Backs: Have an Image of Emi - (Not Reversible)
Price: € 75. Euro - Sorry, Out of Print

I've been blessed with a collection of richly illustrated and passionately felt decks by this artist friend of Osvaldo Menegazzi; Franco Coletti. While I hope to review each one of these decks in depth over time; they all deserve focused attention for they are very deeply expressed and felt by the artist (as well as myself the admirer of such beautiful works). So far I have done a write-up for Coletti's enormous undertaking of his interpretation of The Divine Comedy within the context of Tarot and his personal associations to that epic and classic Italian poem. This deck however, is a departure from all the others which Mr. Coletti has created thus far, for they are Love Poems in one form or another; dedicated to his beloved muse; the object of his desires; a mysterious Ms. 'D'. But this particular deck is a sweet and gentle offering to the daughter of said muse. A little girl named Emi. And his affection for her is quite charming and touching. The deck contains no booklet but instead a text card in Italian which I've attempted to translate below.

Mr. Coletti writes of the Emi Tarot:

The Emi Tarot is a deck of Major Arcana dedicated to a special child and her mother.

Emi's persona is interpreted in cards 11 (Strength), 12 (Hanged One), 14 (Temperance), 16 (Tower), 18 (Moon), 19 (Sun), 20 (Judgment), and 21 the World; as well as the cover image and the backs of each card; while her mom appears in card 3 as the Empress and as the Moon (18); while I share with Emi my usual self as represented by the Fool (0).

All the designs were inspired by the works of John Tenniel and Rebecca Dautremer, the two illustrators of that sweet and simple, yet prodigious masterpiece "Alice in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll; the only book I've read nine times already.

The cards are off white, and made of semi-gloss cardstock. Little Emi is on the backs of the cards and therefore the deck is not reversible. Most cards have a number on them and are easily identifiable but a couple have the card number written in Italian Sei on Card 6 for example). The deck includes the description card and a numbered, signed Title card.

The Emi Tarot set, comes in a decorated cardboard box with a darling image of Emi (not otherwise found in this deck) on thick cardstock mounted on the cover, giving it an added dimensional appearance. The box includes the il Meneghello hot wax seal. It is a precious and rare collectable which became available in late 2011.

Tarot Decks by Franco Coletti reviewed here:
Un Grande Amore
Les Tarot Noirs
Divina Commedia's Tarots (The Divine Comedy’s Tarot)
I Tarocchi dell'amore Sacro e profano
i nuovi Tarocchi dell'amor Sacro e Profano

Cards shown on this page are 0 - Fool Card, 1 - Magician, 3 - Empress - top row
6 - Lovers, 11 - Strength and 15 - Devil - 2nd row
16 - Tower, 18 - Moon and Sun - 3rd row
221 - World, Title Card and the Card Back - bottom row

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