I really like the iconic and familiar RWS deck. This is not surprising as it is the most popular tarot deck by far and many of the other several thousand decks now available appear to be based on it. I like it because of the appearance of the cards and because of what I've learned of its history including its use of illustrated Minor Arcana.
As for the cards themselves, I appreciate that the illustrations are direct and straightforward; they aren't weird or tasteless as some are. The cards are easy to identify at first glance but also repay closer attention. They are well-designed, which isn't surprising given that Pamela Colman Smith studied under Arthur Dow at the Pratt Institute. Finally, their flat colors and black outlines resembling graphic illustrations seem surprisingly modern.
The deck's history is so well-known that there's no need to repeat it here. I especially enjoy that the illustrations were made by an American woman artist living in England who'd had several shows at Stieglitz' 291 and been part of the Golden Dawn along with W. B. Yeats. I appreciate that it was the first published deck created with Major Arcana labels in English. I didn't realize until doing this project that, other than the rare Italian Sola Busca tarot, it was the first to have illustrations rather than just pips on the Minor Arcana. By the way, surprisingly to me, some of these older pip-and-trump or Marseille style historical decks are growing in popularity as they become increasingly available in quality facsimile editions.
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