SALVADOR DALI'S TAROT

First edition. Deluxe limited edition. Publisher's original full navy blue morocco, two raised bands, gilt ruled and with titles in gilt on red labels to the spine. Onlaid illustration of Salvador Dali's 'Eight of Swords' to the upper board. Illustrated with 78 colour reproductions of Salvador Dali's Tarot designs for the major and minor arcana with explanatory text. All edges gilt. An excellent near fine copy, with a little light rubbing to the extremities and spine, the upper board a touch bowed, the leather bright and fresh. The contents with a few light marks to the text block fore-edge and endpapers, are otherwise clean throughout and without inscriptions or stamps. Scarce.

Salvador Dali began work on his tarot cards in the early 1970's when he was approached by Albert Broccoli to create a custom deck of tarot as a prop for the James Bond film 'Live and Let Die' (1973). The prop contract fell through due to Broccoli not wanting to meet Dali's fee, but his wife Gala, who was interested in mysticism, encouraged the artist to continue the project. Over the following decade Dali created an entirely new deck, which he described as a 'Universal Tarot', featuring himself as the Magician and his wife Gala as the Empress. In 1984 a limited edition set of cards was printed by Naipes Comas which quickly sold out. This first book publication, by Rachel Pollack, leading expert in modern Tarot and author of 'Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom' (1980), provides an explanatory guide to the imagery and symbolism in his cards. Issued in a 'deluxe' edition of just 125 copies, from which this example is numbered 80, it is decidedly scarce in commerce.