{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1028221"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1028221/"}},"images":null,"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1028221","accessionNumber":"E.449-1934","objectType":"Print","titles":[{"title":"Rider-Waite-Smith deck","type":"series title"},{"title":"Five of Wands","type":""}],"summaryDescription":"In 1909 Pamela Colman Smith (1878-1951) was commissioned by occultist Arthur Edward Waite (1857-1942) to create designs for a pack of 78 tarot cards. These cards became known as the Rider-Waite-Smith deck.  The cards combine symbology from a variety of sources including Christianity, Judaism, Egyptian mythology, alchemy, and astrology. \n\r\nTarot arrived in the UK in the late 1800’s, having already been well established in Europe. The earliest surviving tarot cards date from the 15th century in Italy and were used by Italian courts as a playing card game. It wasn’t until the 18th century that the cards became used for divination. By the 1850’s tarot was firmly established as a tool for fortune telling and had made its way into occult circles. It was at this point that the trump cards became known as the major arcana and the pip cards became known as the minor arcana. The cards also began to absorb symbology from a variety of different sources. In 1886, Arthur Edward Waite translated the work of French occultist Eliphas Levi into English, thereby introducing tarot to Britain for the first time. As the cards were incredibly rare in the country, this gave occultists a blank slate in terms of design and symbology, allowing for a completely new interpretation of the cards which were unlike earlier European versions. Examples of this include changes to the names of several cards, such as the Bateleur becoming the Magician, the Pope becoming the Hierophant, and the Papess becoming the High Priestess. The order of the cards was also changed, with two cards being swapped. The Justice card became the eleventh card in the series and the Strength card became the eighth. As fascination with the occult grew in Britain, a group known as The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was established in London in 1888. The group practiced ceremonial magic and studied the occult. Famous members of the group include horror write Algernon Blackwood, Poet W.B. Yeats, and occultist Alistair Crowley. It was as members of the Golden Dawn that Arthur Edward Waite and Pamela Colman Smith met. \n\r\nPamela Colman Smith was an artist, illustrator, and writer who worked at the Lyceum theatre alongside actress Ellen Terry and writer Bram Stoker. She is said to have used her famous friends as inspiration for figures in the tarot deck. For example, Ellen Terry can be seen in both the Nine of Pentacles and the Queen of Wands. She was also a passionate suffragette and produced many illustrations for the group. Though Waite gave Colman Smith strict instructions on how to execute the design of the major arcana cards, Colman Smith is entirely responsible for the design of the minor arcana cards. This marked a significant shift in the design of the minor arcana cards which, up until this point, had simply been repeat motifs of the suits with four picture cards for the jack, knight, queen, and king. Colman Smith devised individual designs for each minor card, allowing for them to be read intuitively, telling a story as the reader moves through the suits. \n\r\nUntil recently, the cards were known only as the Rider-Waite deck, completely removing the invaluable contribution of designer Pamela Colman Smith without whom the cards we know today would not exist. There are currently more than 100 million copies of this deck in circulation, making it one of the most popular and well recognised decks of tarot cards.\r\n","physicalDescription":"Lithographic tarot card showing a group of five figures holding large wands fighting each other. ","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Waite, Arthur Edward","id":"AUTH328386"},"association":{"text":"publisher","id":"x32600"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Pamela Colman Smith","id":"A26313"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Rider and Company","id":"AUTH408312"},"association":{"text":"Printer","id":"x30811"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"Card","id":"x30344"},{"text":"Printing ink","id":"AAT187371"}],"techniques":[{"text":"Lithography","id":"AAT53271"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Lithograph, ink on paper","categories":[{"text":"Playing cards & Tarot cards","id":"THES48909"},{"text":"Prints","id":"THES48903"},{"text":"Women artists","id":"THES387590"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":[],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLC (VA)","id":"THES49171"},"free":"","case":"98","shelf":"A","box":"3"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Playing card","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"published","id":"x30682"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1916","earliest":"1916-01-01","latest":"1916-12-31"},"association":{"text":"Printed","id":"x46159"},"note":""},{"date":{"text":"1910","earliest":"1910-01-01","latest":"1910-12-31"},"association":{"text":"First published","id":"x46563"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"12","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"20/05/2025","earliest":"2025-05-20","latest":"2025-05-20"},"part":"Sheet","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"20/05/2025","earliest":"2025-05-20","latest":"2025-05-20"},"part":"Sheet","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"V","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"In the bottom right hand corner is the artists signature of PCS."}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"'Five of Wands', lithographic tarot card designed by Pamela Colman Smith, published by Arthur Edward Waite, printed by Rider and Company, London, first printed, 1910, reprinted 1916","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<u>Victoria & Albert Museum Department of Engraving, Illustration and Design & Department of Paintings Accessions 1934</u> London: Published under the Authority of the Board of Education, 1935\r\n"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<u>Victoria & Albert Museum Department of Engraving, Illustration and Design & Department of Paintings Accessions 1934</u> London: Published under the Authority of the Board of Education, 1935"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Hamilton, Jean. Playing Cards in the Victoria & Albert Museum. Victoria & Albert Museum. Her  Majesty's Stationery Office. London, 1988.\r\nThe full text of the entry is as follows:\r\n146\r\nSmith, Pamela Colman (1877/78 – c.1950)\r\nPack of 78 cartomantic tarots, published by Arthur Edward Waite, London, 1916. Backs with mosaic. [Keller, ENG 37, 38 (c.1920; c.1937); Kaplan 272; Dummett, pl.32, p.154 et seq; BN:149 (re-edition by A. G. Muller & Cie, 1972)].\r\nEach signed with artist’s monogram: PCS\r\nColour lithographs. Each 11.9 x 7 cm.\r\nE.423 to 500-1934\r\nGiven by Major CC Adams\r\nThe first edition of the game appeared in 1910, illustrating Waite’s ‘The Key to the Tarot’"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["E.449-1934"],"accessionNumberNum":"449","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":1934,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-06-27","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-30","availableToBook":false}}