Waite–Smith, Cups
King of Cups
What you can see
A crowned figure sits on a throne surrounded by waves, holding a cup and a short sceptre. A ship and a leaping creature appear to either side.
What Waite says
Waite links the suit’s court imagery with water. He develops this king through responsibility, helpfulness and creative or professional intelligence, rather than describing water simply as emotion.
Waite · Part III, §2 · printed p. 198 ↗In the Thoth deck
Waite’s courts are King, Queen, Knight and Page. Thoth has Knight, Queen, Prince and Princess, so a rank does not carry straight across. See both ways to match them.
Edition and image credits
Pamela Colman Smith, illustrations in The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, Rider 1922 reprint, first published 1910. The scans keep the printed borders and page marks, with no cropping or recolouring.