The Painted Caravan: A Penetration into the Secrets of the Tarot Cards.
The Hague (Holland): L.J.C. Boucher, 1954. First edition. Hardcover. Square small quarto. 120pp. Original cloth with black lettering on spine & blind-stamped sun device on front board. Illustrated endpapers. B&w and color illustrations. Bibliography. A surprisingly elusive work by the Hungarian / British artist Basil Ivan Rákóczi (1908–1979). By his own account his parents had been married in a gypsy ceremony, and he was very proud of this aspect of his heritage. "The Painted Caravan" comprises reproductions of original tarot designs by the author (some quite stunning) that "are based upon ancient gypsy packs" as well as chapters on "Tarot History According to Gypsy Lore," "The Greater Arcana or the veil Uplifted," "The Lesser Arcana Explained," "The Technique of Divination," and "Conclusion or the Painted Caravan Moves On." Spine ends and corners lightly bumped and rubbed, page edges & page margins a bit browned, barely visible blind seal at lower corners of front blank and title page, contemporary bookplate opposite half title page, unmarked. Overall a tight, clean VG+ copy in better than VG dust jacket ( Dust a little chafed and creased at all edges and folds, a few tiny tears and chips, old tape offsetting/residue to reverse of panels and inside flaps, not clipped). Item #63739
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