I Tarocchi di Vetro

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 25 Dec 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Diana	25 Dec 2002
I've received a very beautiful Tarot deck from my husband as a gift this Christmas. I Tarocchi Di Vetro, by Elisabetta Trevisan (Lo Scarabeo). So I decided to do a search here on the Decks forum, but cannot come up with anything on it. I thought that this deck was the Stained Glass Tarot that people talk of on occasion, but it is not the same one. Pollux, doesn't "Vetro" mean "Stained Glass"? The Tarocchi Di Vetro is just too beautiful for words. But has it really never been discussed on the forums before?

Maan	25 Dec 2002
HI Diana what a great gift from your husband.:) I can't rember a thread about this deck either. I have it though, I never use it cause i really can't read with non illustrated pips. But i never thought of trading it, the pictures are just too beautiful. I don't have it here with me right know so i might have the wrong night in mind but don't you just love the knight of swords on his chessboard? Love Maan

HudsonGray	25 Dec 2002
That IS a very pretty deck! I think it's mostly European in release though as nearly all the sites that came up were Itallian or German. Seems to be called Tarot of Glass or the Crystal Tarot, so it's under multiple names too. This has clear pictures of some cards --- http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=it&u=http://www.trigono.com/Tarocchi/TA02TADV_tarots.htm&prev=/search%3Fq%3DTarocchi%2BDi%2BVetro%2B%26num%3D20%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8%26newwindow%3D1%26safe%3Doff This one has the write up about it but their color balance on the images seems muddy. http://www.wicce.com/divetro.html

Diana	25 Dec 2002
Hudson Gray: Thank you. Yes, I see now that this deck is called the Crystal Tarot in English. If only I could show you the Fool! It's sort of, well, sort of, kind of, I dunno, Awsome!!! Maan: it's actually the Page of Swords on the ChessBoard. He's beautiful too. The Knight is sort of riding through the mist, but is above it. All the cards are beautiful.

Ophiel	25 Dec 2002
Wow...I just bought this deck a few days ago! The title card did call it "Tarocchi di Vetro" and Tarot de Verre, and el Tarot de Cristal, and Kristall Tarot. Oh yeah, they threw in "Crystal Tarot" too. I agree, it is a lovely deck. I feel transported to the crystal to another world with this deck, the gorgeous colors, and the color combinations selected by the artist.

Pollux	25 Dec 2002
Diana, others have partially replied to your question. Vetro in italian is simply glass, whilst Stained Glass is Vetrata (singular). In fact, you'll either have the "Scapini Stained Glass" (or Tarocchi delle Vetrate ;)), or the "Crystal Tarot" (or Tarocchi di Vetro). Riccardo from Lo Scarabeo might shed light on why there's this subtle difference in the titles for different languages, when we do have the word "cristallo" in italian. But I suspect the name "tarocchi di cristallo" has been used to. P.S. Ehm... what you all doing online at Xmas??? Get off this boards, now!!! *LOL* EDITED TO ADD: DIANA!!! Weren't you suposed to get an ANANDA??? :D *LOL*

Lee	25 Dec 2002
I believe, unless I'm misremembering, that the E. Trevisan cards were painted on glass, thus the title. -- Lee

Trogon	25 Dec 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Diana If only I could show you the Fool! It's sort of, well, sort of, kind of, I dunno, Awsome!!! I hadn't heard of this deck but it sounded intriguing, so I did a search at Tarot Garden... [edited to remove fouled up link] This shows two versions of the deck. One is the Majors only release, the other is the full 78-card deck (so you can play with a full deck I guess... :joke: ). If you click on the second one (the 22-card deck) it shows The Fool.

zorya	25 Dec 2002
what a beautiful deck diana! it appears to me to be images of (somewhat contemporary methods of ) stained glass, using patterned glass pieces and painted glass. the colors are stunning, even viewed on my computer screen.

Macavity	25 Dec 2002
I think TarotGarden Shuffled their database? :D Here's one that shows the Fool hopefully? Very Nice. http://www.astroamerica.com/t-cry.html Mac

Faerie Lin	26 Dec 2002
I have been looking up this deck off and on for awhile now Diana! I love the artwork and feel of this deck. Yep, it has now been bumped up higher on my neverending wishlist lol. lin

Pollux	26 Dec 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Trogon http://www.tarotgarden.com/database/(...) Trogon your link doesn't work. There's a particular way you should write links to Tarot Garden Dtaabse entries... Jeanette showed us some time ago, but I forgot... Maybe I'll dig in the old threads and find it. Anyway, I suggest linking directly to the pictures rather than the entries so there's no problem of code. This is the 22 card version (Edizione Arte): http://www.tarotgarden.com/database/images/v-decks/vetrocards.gif This is the 78 card one: http://www.tarotgarden.com/database/images/c-decks/crystalcards.gif The first is printed on bigger cards - I think somehow rather close to the size of the original artwork - and the cards are rendered with better colours, details and so on. Diana, probably your fool won't be as good-looking as the one shown (22 card), but I admit this is a very beautiful and interesting deck. So far I had been put off by the image of the Valet - but that Strength card calls me, and I can't ignore it...;) *LOL*

Diana	26 Dec 2002
Macavity: I don't see the Fool on your link! Trogon's link showed it. You have to scroll down to "Tarocchi di Vetro" and not go into "Crystal Tarot". (Oh, I just see that Pollux has provided a direct link. Thanks Pollux.) I have been Googling a lot about this deck and to my surprise have read a couple of reviews who say that it would be hard to read with and it is more of an art deck. Stuff and nonsense. This deck is loaded with symbolism and seems to have taken the symbolism from all the great Tarot traditions that exist today. I would say that the Marseilles decks have been a strong influence (which is important to me personally), Justice and Strength have the traditional positions (VIII and XI respectively), the Moon card has a lobster. There is also some subtle Oswald Wirth influence, which is lovely to see (I don't know if this is deliberate). There is also Rider Waite influence, but there is no clonishness about it (I am sick and tired of Rider Waite clones.) There is possibly also Thoth influence, but I am ashamed to say that I have not taken time to study the Thoth, as I feel uneasy with it. (*Diana hangs her head with shame.*) The pips are amazingly easy to read - they tell a story. No need for pictures here. I think if I start studying this deck properly, it would probably fill up a book. To start with, I should at least try and do a review for Aeclectic - I don't think there is one.

Macavity	26 Dec 2002
Ack! Obviously can't tell my Fool from my Batteleur. :D Thanks for the links Pollux. Googling is always interesting - I was able to add another (different) deck to my list of needs... which MUST be a good thing? ;)

Trogon	26 Dec 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Pollux Trogon your link doesn't work. There's a particular way you should write links to Tarot Garden Dtaabse entries... Jeanette showed us some time ago, but I forgot... Thanks Pollux... I've removed my fubar link. I've got to remember to test those things... :|

Cerulean	29 Dec 2002
Hello Diana et al, In another discussion of this deck under Crystal Tarots or Crystals Tarot, a link to Lo Scarabeo's summary of the courts--search on the www.loscarabeo.com old site and you'll see it under minor archana. I haven't any explanation for Swords being the element of water--I just read it on the loscarabeo.com site. Through Trigomo.com, there's a book that comes with (I think) and a small 1995 edition of the deck. The size is smaller, though this is the first edition that I have been told that had all 78 cards. I have not seen the book available separately and it is written in Italian. (Some kind people told me this in another discussion---not here). I do not know for certain, but the arrangement of the pips somewhat superficially resembles a modified Marseilles that could sometimes reminds me of Thoth, sometimes reminds me of Etteilla or Spanish style pips (such as the di Gumppenberg 1810)---whatever the pip design style, of course it is also set up with animals and interesting land/sea/skyscapes. If you want to find out out if there was any one historical system that was behind the pip arrangements, I do have two suggestions on Etteilla style notes: One sample: http://www.villarevak.org/emw/emw_7.htm The other suggestion is www.tarot.com, where you can check out all the cards of the Grand Etteilla (II ?) under browsing decks. Hope one of the suggestions help---I'm researching Etteilla styles for reviewing Laura Tuan's Egyptian deck, so I may be seeing his pipping probably in places it might not exist... Mari H.

truthsayer	29 Dec 2002
all i need is another beautiful deck i've never seen to crave! i do like the first majors only deck before it was completed. the colors just caught my breath! it reminds me of something that i can't pin a name on. i hate it when that happens? oh! what will the new year bring us in terms of tarot? how shall my tarot collection grow? ;)

Ursula	30 Dec 2002
thanks for the images! VERY pretty deck, i agree. are the images that vivid in the actual deck? (the Enchanted deck that i have appears less vivid in actuality than it did on the net--for anyone who i haven't mentioned that to yet ;)) also, while doing a search for Tarot Garden, i found this: http://www.nikidesaintphalle.com/entrance.html how funky is that????? a Tarot park??? also, check out the images on the site.... quite, um, unusual... ~Urs :OL

Cerulean	30 Dec 2002
Deep and vibrant in the 2000 edition format, which is readily available at Borders bookstores. The lighter tints show up better than in the smaller 1995 format and there is some translucent shading that seems crystalline or glasslike. I like it better than the flat glaring coloring of many decks. Although sometimes I like vivid contrasts (Glastonbury), I like more sophisticated color tints in daytime reading. Just my take. Mari H.

Jeannette	30 Dec 2002
Although I think this information has now been presented in one form or another by other posters, I think that a summary may be in order for some of the newer members. The publication history of the Vetro is probably a bit confusing, especially to those of us in North America who aren't familiar with the name translations. The Vetro, like many Lo Scarabeo decks, was first published as a majors-only deck. It has been available in both a large ("d'Arte") and small format. In the larger format, some copies were released on a very interesting cardstock with subtle textured bands that almost made the cards appear to "shine" or "glow." Most copies I've seen of the large edition, however, are printed on a standard untextured, semi-gloss cardstock. The pictures of the d'Arte edition of the Vetro found in the Tarot Garden database were taken from a "banded" cardstock copy, but the effect is so subtle that you can't really see it in the scans. The smaller majors-only edition is about the size of a "standard" tarot reading deck. Both the large and small majors-only edition tend to be referred to as the "Vetro" tarot, because to the best of my knowledge, these editions were never directly distributed in North America (where I assume there would be a stronger motivation to have translated the title into English). The 78-card edition was released in North America under the English name "The Crystal Tarots." It is indeed the Elisabetta Trevisian "Glass" (sometimes also called "Stained Glass") tarot, and not the Scapini "Vetrate" ("Stained Glass") tarot. -- Jeannette http://www.tarotgarden.com

Jeannette	30 Dec 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Pollux Trogon your link doesn't work. There's a particular way you should write links to Tarot Garden Dtaabse entries... Jeanette showed us some time ago, but I forgot... Maybe I'll dig in the old threads and find it. Here's the link to the post with the direct-link instructions for the Tarot Garden online database: http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?s=&postid=70285#post70285 -- Jeannette http://www.tarotgarden.com

Emily	06 Jan 2003
I bought this deck only a week or so ago, I found it while on holiday in a little crystal/New Age shop - they also had about 20 other decks but this was the only one that made me want it lol - it is a very pretty deck, small enough to be carried about and good quality card stock. Its not very often I like the non-illustrated Minors but I did like these, it reminds me of the Thoth too Diana, but a gentle version, these cards are very easy on the eye, completely non-threatening, and easy to use. There isn't a card I don't like and its very comfortable, I'm having some good, honest readings with it :)

felicityk	13 Mar 2003
I was looking at my Crystal Tarot last night and noticed that a few of the Majors are printed in reverse! You can tell because the artist's signature is backward. The cards in question are The World, Judgement, The Chariot, and perhaps one more (I don't have the deck in front of me). I have the edition with LWB dated 2000. If anyone has the earlier printing (1995?) could you check to see whether these cards are also reversed? Thanks! Felicity

felicityk	28 Mar 2003
Jeannette from Tarot Garden was able to answer my question for me. There are in fact five Major Arcana that are printed in reverse in the 2000 edition: High Priestess, Hierophant, Chariot, Judgement, and World. In the 1995 edition, all but the High Priestess are printed correctly. It's a minor nitpick on a lovely deck, but it bugs me all the same. On the World in particular, it means the four beings in the corners (Man, bird, lion, and bull) are oriented incorrectly. That was what first caught my eye, in fact; it was only upon closer inspection that I noticed the signature on this and the four other cards was backwards. Felicity

The I Tarocchi di Vetro thread was originally posted on 25 Dec 2002 in the Tarot Decks board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Tarot Decks, or read more archived threads.