100% handcrafted Tarot deck

Rarest of the rare & exclusive, 100% handmade (Made to order - Ready to ship after 3-4 months of placing the order. Message for any questions.)

Commissions open

Specs:

1. Handcrafted from the ground up - preparation of the paper to the handpainted wooden box. Every deck is unique making it one of its kind and a real collector's crave.

2. 100 % illustrated and painted 78 cards with artwork based on Indian Mythology (takes weeks to make one deck - card dimensions are 80 X 110 mm)

3. Comes in a very beautiful, sturdy, handpainted & lacquered wooden box

4. A true collector's crave and a treasure - every deck is unique because of the handcrafted nature of work

5. These will be shipped from Australia via express shipping option (delivery in 4-6 working days) tightly secured in bubble wrap and a box.

I'm able to offer these due to my association with Royal Matriarch Satvashila Devi Bhonsle of Sawantwadi. These handpainted deck of playing cards are made in collaboration with Sawantwadi Lacquerwares in India. Rajmata Satvashila Devi Bhonsle has worked tirelessly for decades to revive traditional art & craft forms and her workshop in the Sawantwadi Palace is one of the only few in the world where this craft of handcrafted & lacquered playing cards (most notably, Ganjifa) still exists.

Production process: These guys still use 300 year old process to make these cards.

Sheets of cotton paper blend are coated with tamarind paste (seed powder and oil), cooked with mud and Arabic gum. Few layers of the paper are grouped to form the thick layers and dried, further rubbed with the stone for a smooth finish. Main sketch is painted in the card with minute details of eyes, nose, hair etc. while painting of floral borders and motifs is done around the edges of each card & back. It is further dried under direct sunlight for a few hours. Artisans in Odisha use cloth instead of paper and it takes a few days to dry before they prepare for applying lacquer.

Sawantwadi (Maharashtra state) is renowned for lacquerware, popularly known as Sawantwadi Lacquer Craft. In essence, lacquer is a natural plastic; it is remarkably resistant to water, acid, and, to a certain extent, heat. Maharashtra is one of the leading producers of lac. Lac is the scarlet resinous secretion of Kerria lacca, also known as lac beetle. Kerria lacca is cultivated on dhak and kusum trees. Raw lacquer is collected by extracting the viscous sap through notches cut into the trees. It is gently heated to remove excess moisture and impurities. Purified lacquer is applied to the surface of the cards. Once coated with a thin layer of lacquer, the cards are left to dry. High-quality lacquer may require thirty or more coats, which makes the production time-consuming.

A similar process is used on wood boxes.

What do the collectors say about this deck:

--The Bharata Playing Cards and especially the hand crafted deck with the hand made and painted box exceeded my expectations. The artistry and workmanship are truly outstanding. Few decks have met the quality of this deck in all my years of collecting playing cards. The handcrafted deck and box is one of a kind. You are a lucky person if you have these decks in your collection. - Joe R. Austin, Texas

-- Box and Cards are high in individual detail work in paints/laquer, whilst the card stock is certainly umm, robusto, I would say !

They're a delight and a treasure Sunish, good work sourcing these .... they are a treat !

-- a lovely set bursting with colour and character.