Gilt Renouveau Grimaud deck

Abrac

Hi and welcome. :)

The design of those cards was first created by Wüst of Frankfurt in 1865 according to Stuart Kaplan. Grimaud started publishing decks with that design around 1910 (I read another place 1900); it's called the Tarot Nouveau. Here's a link that shows several examples.

http://www.a.trionfi.eu/WWPCM/decks/d00055/d00055.htm

Unfortunately it doesn't show yours but down the page it shows your back. It says it's from the Coffret de luxe (Luxury Box), probably the same as your Coffret Cuir (Leather Box). But again on the unfortunate side, it gives no date.

That instruction booklet was published by the French Tarot Federation. The information at the link says they were founded in 1973 so your set would have to be later than that.

Hopefully that'll give you something to go on and you can find an answer. It's definitely a handsome set.
 

Abrac

You're quite welcome. I don't recall ever seeing that set and judging from the lack of responses no one else has either. There's nothing about it in Kaplan's 4 volume Encyclopedia of Tarot, however it does mention another tarot by Grimaud based on the same design, i.e. Maxim's Tarot created in 1992. I think you may have a rare deck on your hands. Let us know if you learn anything more about it.
 

Laura Borealis

Gorgeous deck and that box !!! Nice find. Welcome to AT :cool4:

eta - Wikipedia's entry on the pattern has a section on the trumps, with a table of the scenes - 18 for instance is Autumn with scenes at the market/threshing wheat.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarot_Nouveau
 

coredil

I've just acquired a new deck, it's absolutely stunning. The gilt edges are smooth and shuffle with elegance (which has been the complete the opposite experience to the Illuminati Tarot edges).

I'm unsure as to when this deck was published and whether it is scarce or not. I was wondering if anyone could provide my with information in regards to this deck - I'd be very grateful for any info.

Abracs gave you already important informations.

One could add that this deck is not a TDM deck and also not a cartomancy deck.
This kind of deck is also quite rarely mentioned on this forum!

It is a card game deck for the card game Jeu de Tarot.
This deck is in print and widely used in France today for this card game.

It is produced today by France Cartes and there are quite a lot of editions/variations of this well known and much used deck.
http://www.france-cartes.com/portfolio-item/jeux-de-tarot/

Here some of the different variations of this which are in print and available:
Tarot (Grimaud)
Grimaud Tarot Eco
Tarot Grimaud Premiere (with corners gilding)
Tarot de Luxe (Tarot Concorde coins dorés)
It is called Concorde because of the card back "Dos Concorde" (the same as yours)

The edition you have does not seem to be available any more, and it is a very nice copy.

Here the Tarot Grimaud Premiere with the gilt corners:
http://www.cartes-production.com/jeu-de-78-cartes-tarot-grimaud-premiere-p-3833-c-52.htm

You can see here some other editions of the deck:
http://www.cartes-production.com/jeux-de-cartes-tarot-c-52.htm

I own several copy of this deck with the Concorde card back but without gilt edging.
I have also several copy of the first edition of the Tarot Nouveau.
A lot of variations have been created since the first publication of the deck in 1900!

The Maxim's Tarot you found is an advertising deck.
Maxim is a well known restaurant in Paris and the cardback of the Maxim deck is the logo of the restaurant.
It is a common practice in France that company order a deck with their custom logo on the cardback.
They use these decks as advertising gifts.
You will find hundreds of such Tarot decks.
For example I have a Grimaud Tarot with a Suze cardback (Suze is a well known aperitif), or a La Ducale Tarot deck with a Loterie Nationale card back or a Carta Mundi Tarot deck with a Pastis 51 card back (also a well known aperitif).

For anyone interested in the several editions of the Tarot Nouveau or Tarot Grimaud there is a typical detail that can help to aproximately date the decks.
The first edition of the Tarot nouveau had no numbers on the suit cards.
Then the next early editions had two numbers in diagonale.
Following editions of the Tarot nouveau had also 2 numbers in diagonal.
Later (as in your deck) you will find numbers on the four corners.
It is called "Cartes marquées aux quatre coins"
Also the placement of the Grimaud logo (BP) on the trumps is different.

There is also an interesting details if you also compare the several editions of the deck produced by Grimaud and other card company.
This is about the Pierrot on Trump one.
Most of the times Pierrot stands but sometimes he is sitting or he even may be beaten ;)

If you are interested you can have a look at this older thread about the Tarot Nouveau with some pics that illustrate some of these details:
http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=112119&highlight=nouveau

Best regards
 

Philippe

Hello Didactic

I don't know if it helps but I have a gilt-edged Marseille Grimaud which looks very similar to your Tarot nouveau. I agree with you that the gilt edges are smooth and the cards shuffle very easily. Mine are in a leather pouch, not a wooden box :

P1010540 by PhilBeDaN, sur Flickr

P1010541 by PhilBeDaN, sur Flickr

This deck is the 1981 edition of the Marteau Grimaud with slightly deeper colours than the current edition.