Baraja Nefertiti

This unusual Spanish-suited fortune-telling pack from Mexico is printed in black and white only. The court card designs (which are the same in each suit) are flat and semi-abstract, having been reduced to their basic elements. The meanings are given at each end in Spanish although, in the case of several cards in the Coins suit, it is impossible to work out which way is upright and which is reversed. The name of the creator is given on the box as Thania Nicolopulus. This could in fact be Thania Nicolopulos, a writer and poet born in Brazil in 1924 who soon after moved to Mexico. The pack is accompanied by a one-page leaflet of instructions in Spanish►

Nefertiti was an ancient Egyptian queen and wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten, known for her beauty and influential role. She lived during the 14th century BCE.

Above: Baraja Nefertiti produced by Productos Artisticos “Osiris” and distributed by Promotora de Artesanias Mundiales, S.A., Mexico, c1975. 40 cards + instruction sheet in Spanish, in tuck box. Size: 62 x 96 mm. The King of Swords is reproduced on the back of the box. See the box►

Reference: Jensen, K. Frank. The Prophetic Cards. Roskilde, Denmark: Ouroboros; 1985. Cat. no. 3.15.