The Best Marseille Deck--Your Top Three List . . .

Debra

On the threads discussing "best" decks, people have wondered which Marseille would "win" a Marseille contest here at AT. So here's a thread for that purpose. What's your top one, or two, or three?

Someone (sorry I've forgotten who) suggested that "in the running" should be any deck with the word "Marseille" or "Marseilles" in its title. Those that are "Marseille-ish" like the de la Rea would be out of the running. Others might have a more expansive vision of the field. I don't care--I'm just interested in seeing what people think, and why.

34 decks with "Marseille" in the title come up if you search "Marseille" (no "s" at the end) at www.tarotgarden.com . Or take a look here: http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/marseilles.shtml

I'm starting this as a topic in Decks to encourage the widest possible participation--hope it works! I'm sure this has been discussed in the History and Iconography forum, but today is a new day . . . Wednesday, in fact. :D

Hoping to hear some interesting discussion!
 

Faolainn Storm

oooh, yes. I am seriously wanting a TdM, but am stumped by the number of variations. So please, for those of us who know little about the TdM, please tell us which is the best!

Faolainn Storm
 

jmd

This is both simple and difficult.

Difficult, as it excludes (from my perspective) very worthwhile decks such as the Bologna, Vieville, Besançon, and Schaffhouse.

Difficult also because I'm not going to choose from the vast array found only in museum and private collection catalogues.

So in terms of TdM 'proper', I'd also have to avoid some of the more modern renditions from my top three... yet include a modern re-production as first choice. So here goes:
Noblet - proto-TdM-I (Jean-Claude Flornoy/ tarot-history.com);

Dodal/Payen - TdM-I (really don't mind one or the other there - I only have the Dodal);

Chosson/Conver - TdM-II (again, I only have the latter, and of that, the Héron is my preferred... though in terms of images, I'd go for the one Kenji has).​
 

The crowned one

Noblet Tarot de Marseille

Tarot of Paul Marteau because he was a clever man and created a original deck to some degree.

If I tell you my third choice you will laugh.
 

Debra

The crowned one said:
If I tell you my third choice you will laugh.

C'mon, dude. We could use a few good laughs around here.

Or shall we guess?

That super-cheap one that comes in the big box--the Thunder Bay Camoin?
Major Tom's?
Chat du Marseille?
 

Debra

jmd said:
This is both simple and difficult....

All part of my evil plan.

jmd, is there a link for the "I" vs "II" pattern info?
 

Rosanne

Well - looks like I am first and I should be last. Edited not first lol.
I am thinking that we don't have to have the deck neh?
But I do have quite a few.....

1. The Hadar :I do not like my school colours on a Tarot card, makes me feel ill. It still looks like a modern reproduction. It does not look rushed. The thinkers TdM to be snobbish. Seems to have all the ingredients for me.

2. The Noblet:It is small and fits well in the hand and handbag, looks new and old, but it is not serious -it is a game playing deck- it has humour, just as I would expect from game cards. Great teaching and learning tool.

3. The Heron Conver: This is third because it looks like a printers bread and butter deck, that the apprentice gets to practise on and get out on the market quick smart. The reproduction has kept it ancient and it feels that way. Best feel, but not best learn.

4. Fournier: Well it is not somber, and the figures appear to have moustaches,
but I feel European-ish when I use it- like I am in Spain, but it is unreal with its colour array, not like that I think as they would have been once. So fake and fun.

6. The pips on Major Tom's. New world meets Old world. I have practised with just the pips- and that has taught me a lot.

I have not a Jacque Vieville- going to get one- but is it TdM or just nearly? Well thats my list, not very scholarly and certainly not passionately, because as people may have heard me say before I think they are pretty ugly in the main. As they would be. Mass produced for a specific market at the beginning of the learning curve of printing in a hurry.
~Rosanne
 

le pendu

jmd said:
This is both simple and difficult.

Difficult, as it excludes (from my perspective) very worthwhile decks such as the Bologna, Vieville, Besançon, and Schaffhouse.

Difficult also because I'm not going to choose from the vast array found only in museum and private collection catalogues.

So in terms of TdM 'proper', I'd also have to avoid some of the more modern renditions from my top three... yet include a modern re-production as first choice. So here goes:
Noblet - proto-TdM-I (Jean-Claude Flornoy/ tarot-history.com);

Dodal/Payen - TdM-I (really don't mind one or the other there - I only have the Dodal);

Chosson/Conver - TdM-II (again, I only have the latter, and of that, the Héron is my preferred... though in terms of images, I'd go for the one Kenji has).​

Oh great jmd, not only do you start this off using classifications such as "TdM I" and "TdM II", you throw in "proto-TdM I"!?

At this time, these classifications are tenuous, evolving, and certainly not universally agreed upon, and heck, now we've got "proto-TdM I" to add into it?

Please.

Let's discard these fancy finagled labels and focus on the question at hand... the best TdM, top three... and if we have to fight over the results... so be it. They are of course:

1. Jean Noblet (Flornoy)
2. Jean Payen/Jean Dodal (virtually unobtainable)
3. Nicholas Conver (Heron)

...

Oh.
 

spoonbender

I would have to say:

1) Dodal (I own the Dusserre edition) :love:

2) Noblet (I own the Flornoy 78-card edition)

3) Conver (I own the Héron edition)

Spoon
 

The crowned one

Debra said:
C'mon, dude. We could use a few good laughs around here.

Or shall we guess?

That super-cheap one that comes in the big box--the Thunder Bay Camoin?
Major Tom's?
Chat du Marseille?


A two way tie:


1JJ Swiss Tarot...so accessible and a very cheap set. And then the only set of tarot cards I ever cut...what is the term? A Camoin Bicentennial deck modern copy. The one you guessed I think ;) Comes in a purple box? EDIT I just did some hunting... it IS the thunderbay..but I painted the backs in gold and squared all the cards...I like it now.

Looks like I am slumming here. :)