Dodal vs. U.S. Games Tarot de Marseille

Rusty Neon

Dodal Tarot de Marseille vs. U.S. Games TdM

For comparison with the Conver family of TdM decks, I'm interested in obtaining a copy of the Dodal Tarot de Marseille deck. Ideally I would like to buy a photoreproduction of the Dodal Tarot de Marseille, both for the minor arcana and the major arcana.

There used to be a Dodal photoreproduction published by Dusserre, but I understand that it's out of print. I've read that the U.S. Games/Carta Mundi "Tarot of Marseilles" is a redrawing of the Dodal Tarot de Marseille.

Could anyone who knows both the redrawn deck and the photoreproduction tell me if the redrawn deck accurately reproduces the 78 cards of the Dodal Tarot de Marseille - both in terms of images and colour? Thanks. If it's a close redrawing and even more so, if the colours are the same, I'd probably be interested in buying the redrawn deck.

P.S. I'm aware of the restored major arcana Dodal TdM (by Jean-Claude Flornoy) sold on letarot.fr and also mentioned on letarot.ch, but I'm looking for something with all 78 cards.
 

felicityk

In my research on Marseilles decks I believe I came across the Dusserre deck at Dix de couer, a French dealer. I'm not sure whether they ship to the US, but it might be worth a try to communicate with them.

Unfortunately I do not remember which page it was on, but here is their index:

http://www.dixdecoeur.com/pages/vente/liste-tarot.htm

Felicity
 

Rusty Neon

hi felicity ... thanks for your help. Dodal is not listed in that webstore's list nor does it come up in the name search with Dodal.
 

felicityk

[I posted this reply before seeing yours. I was not successful either in finding the deck at Dix de couer this time around. Either it is no longer there or I am remembering incorrectly.]

I did find some pictures of the Dusserre deck on another French site:

http://membres.lycos.fr/tarobat/mesjeux/Jeux.htm

It's the third deck listed, Tarot Jean Dodal. The Carta Mundi deck is listed fifth. There may not be enough photos to do a full comparison, but maybe enough to get you started.

Felicity
 

Rusty Neon

The webmaster at tarobat seemed disappointed about the Carta Mundi (a.k.a. US Games) redrawn deck.

http://membres.lycos.fr/tarobat/mesjeux/marseillemundi/cartamundi.htm

Translating from French, here is what he writes about the Carta Mundi redrawn deck:

"In despair about not finding the reproduction of the 1701 Dodal Bibliothèque nationale, I bought this tarot deck which indicated that it respected the original designs. I don't find, for example, "the book" at the bottom of the Bateleur's table in the reproduction of the original, nor do I find the "ladder" in the robe of the Papesse ..."

Hmm ... it looks like I need to find the Dusserre.
 

jmd

If you do find a source for the Dusserre edition, please keep us informed... I too have been after one :)
 

Flornoy

Greetings to everyone

I wish to pursue the discussion concerning the Dodal Tarot.

The "Dusserre" reproduction is of mediocre quality. It has been out of print since 1992 and can only rarely be found second-hand.
.
The Carta Mundi edition is not only a bad, inexact and sloppy re-drawing. It also shows no respect for the original coloring.

I have the professional ectachromes the French National Library made of these cards (again, Major Arcana only). For those who wish to produce their own computer print-out version, I can offer the image in a high quality numerisation. Glue the image (it must be spray-varnished at some point) on heavy paper and finish the back with fine bookbinding leather, or marbled paper - the result is superb.

That the Dodal back suggests a goose-print as much as an ermine is a striking and fascinating observation. Food for thought.

Looking forward to your comments,
 

jmd

Welcome, and glad you enjoyed that observation - which came, to be honest, from considerations of your reproduction in any case.

I personally would very much like a copy of the Dodal (& Conver & Noblet & Chosson if you have them) in high resolution - as high as you can make it, for then zoom-ins can be effectively made. But you may get a rush of requests! Perhaps burning them on CD and selling them may be easier.

The tyranny of distance for the purposes of original Tarot study from the antipodes is at times a constraint :)

In the meantime, given my other comment about some of the 'minute differences' which I noted in your deck, I should perhaps start a new thread.

For anyone interested, I would highly recommend Jean-Claude Flornoy's reproductions - to observe the differences, one has to be so nit-picky as to be, at times, undoubtedly a pain in the buttocks ;)
 
Marseille pips: the fours Marseilles pips - the sevens