China
Ancient Chinese imagery reimagined by Der Jen through cultural lens.
by Der Jen · 2006
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The record
The magic, charm, excitement and poetry of ancient China. Originally published a few years ago in China as the Chinese Ladies Tarot, these Tarot images by Der Jen have been reprinted again, this time by Lo Scarabeo. The major arcana feature young, attractive men and women (mostly women), dressed in traditional Chinese costumes. They are in set luxurious surroundings, wearing silk robes, rich jewelled combs and decorated head-dresses. All their faces are life-like and photo-real some almost look like photographs - and are very pale and blushed with pink on the cheeks. I really liked the pose of the High Priestess, the way she has her hands held flat just beneath her closed eyes, like she sees beneath the surface. There is personality in the major cards, and the Knave, Knight, Queen and King court cards are similar. Its nice to see the energy and personality of the courts reflected in the image: the Queen of Chalices is dreamy, the Knight of Pentacles look cautious, the Queen of Wands looks confident, and the Knight of Swords looks full of wild energy. (The Queen of Swords does also look friendly and approachable, but on the whole they are an accurate reflection of the archety
The cards
