The thread concerning cataloguing a pack of tarot cards has been
interesting and has caught the attention to my graduate museum studies
students who are required to read Museum-L regularly as a class assignment.

Talking to them the other night about this issue, it seemed to me that
you can call them anything that is consistent with the particular
nomenclature system your institution uses.  As I remember, Chenall's
Nomenclature is indexed and a number of "odd" objects like tarot cards
are included with listings like "tarot cards..........use ceremonial
object."  Call the cards what you wish, but add such a listing to your
nomenclature index so anyone coming later will know where to look.

Nomenclature is not an exact science.  I think there two long-term
concerns that are equally important to the question of how do you
identify a pack of tarot cards.  The first is to be sure to name the
second and any subsequent packs of cards the same as the first.  The
econd is to leave written clues so that other people (including yourself
at a later date) can be directed to your holdings of such objects through
the catalogue.

Just my two cents' worth.


Michael Cahall
Department of History
Duquesne University