78 card Jean Noblet Tarot by Jean-Claude Flornoy

prudence said:

There is an attitude in their postures and gazes that is, to my eyes, so very cool.

Click to expand...

I know exactly what you mean. These people are just too cool for me. Once you start noticing the "vibe" of the Noblet, it's amazing how much depth (and attitude!) there is. Definitely the James Dean of tarot decks.

This has been an extremely informative thread.

Pendu, when Flornoy says "The black line is taken directly from the originals in the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris," does that mean he's printing the black-line sheets directly off the original woodblocks in the Bibliotheque museum?

The 22 Noblet hand-printed and -colored trumps, from what I see on the boutique page, are going for 36 Euros, and the leather case for 20. I'd call that a steal.

I know most of us don't buy tarot decks as an investment, but if this item is being discontinued, I think those cards will certainly appreciate in value as time goes by.

I can see why he's going to execute the full Noblet deck on a printing press. I noticed that the 78-card Dodal is going for 600 Euros, and a comparable price for a hand-printed and colored Noblet deck would put it out of my range.

I'm very impressed by Flornoy's work, which I was previously unaware of. It's got to be a labor of love mostly, I would think, since the market for this kind of connoisseur product is strictly limited, though it may be greater in France than here.

Those hand-colored cards are dead gorgeous.

For those in the US, it's probably marginally less expensive to order this from Tarot Garden rather than from Flornoy directly...I just realized. Haven't heard from Mrs. Flornoy yet with the price to ship to the US--they charge a bit extra for using paypal, too.

catboxer said:

when Flornoy says "The black line is taken directly from the originals in the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris," does that mean he's printing the black-line sheets directly off the original woodblocks in the Bibliotheque museum?

Click to expand...

No- he restored the lines by copying as closely as possible, and darkening lines that had faded. He is copying from surviving cards, not from wood blocks. The original wood blocks are lost to time. I believe he used a computer for this black line restoration, but I could be wrong.

catboxer said:

I noticed that the 78-card Dodal is going for 600 Euros

Click to expand...

I think you were noticing that single (Conver) cards, hand painted on canvas (large paintings) with frame are going for this amount- I don't think he has produced a 78 card deck aside from the Noblet.

catboxer said:

I would think, since the market for this kind of connoisseur product is strictly limited, though it may be greater in France than here.

Click to expand...

I have 3 of his decks all purchased within the last year- they are all numbered. I don't remember the numbers, but I remember enough to know that if the numbers represent how many decks he has actually sold, he must have another source of income to support that food and shelter habit that we all have.

-tb

I'm thrilled that this 78 card full deck is eventually available, and I can't wait for my copy to arrive, no confirmation email yet but I guess the Flornoys are a little busy right now!

I have the Majors deck and its always a joy to look at because there are so many oddities about it. I love the white faces or masks on all the people except La Mort, Le Diable and Le Fou. I wonder why that is. And L'Empereur faces the right, or future as I see it. The Sun children seem to be boy and girl, The Star's navel is a star, The Hermit has blue hair which is so apt for him. Why does L'Emperatrise look straight ahead like Justice does, and not to the right as she does in other decks? So many questions pop up and it's great to seek out and discover the details. The colours are deep and true, time and a again, it's just so pleasurable on the eye.

I'm anxiously awaiting this new deck, mine will have a lot of use.

As far as I'm concerned, I cannot imagine another deck coming this year (or indeed decade) that is of greater significance... this is something that certainly a number of us have been awaiting for some time!

Congratulations to both Jean-Claude and Roxanne on finally completing what must have been a whole journey in itself!

I cannot wait to see the kings and queens faces, how they will be expressed and which facet of cool they will occupy. Robert, I agree with you about it being the James Dean of decks, though I was thinking someone more along the lines of Michael Madsen's character in Resevoir Dogs (Mr. Blonde), or....well, I guess that *is* pretty much like James Dean then isn't it? (except a little more dangerous) edit to ask, would it be wrong to consider the Noblet the Mr Blonde of the Marseilles world?

I will most likely order at least one more for a friend, once Tarot Garden gets it in stock, or maybe one more for me. I just could not wait, not once I realized I could purchase it now. (I am usually very loyal to TG, but this time, my "need it now" tendency got the best of me.)

prudence said:

I cannot wait to see the kings and queens faces, how they wil be expressed and which facet of cool they will occupy. Robert, I agree with you about it being the James Dean of decks, though I was thinking someone more along the lines of Michael Madsen's character in Resevoir Dogs (Mr. Blonde), or....well, I guess that *is* pretty much like James Dean then isn't it? (except a little more dangerous)

I will most likely order at least one more for a friend, once Tarot Garden gets it in stock, or maybe one more for me. I just could not wait, not once I realized I could purchase it now. (I am usually very loyal to TG, but this time, my "need it now" tendency got the best of me.)

Click to expand...

I've talked a bit with That Dan Guy at Tarot Garden, and he's confirmed that they will be carrying the deck and will post here with the details. I also asked if they carry the 22 Noblet, and they DO! So for us in the states we can order both the 78 and 22 from Tarot Garden. Directly from France is also nice, they have pretty stamps!

What do you think... would YOU mess with this Popess?



She's probably got a gun under the book.

wwell, and for sure that Justice has a hookah under her robes.