1JJ Swiss - The tiny details.

[Hooked on TdM]

I've been plowing my way through the cards and along the way I have discovered some very interesting and sometimes strange details.

The Chevalier des Epees has a brown pistol beside his leg on the horse.. It's the only pistol in the whole deck! What is it doing there? Why is he brandishing a sword if he has a pistol at his side?

The Chevalier des Coupes has a green emblem on the horse blanket. I can't make it out. Is this an emblem of his house? His king? Why is it there and what does it mean? Again it is the only one in the deck.

Roi de Coupe is leaning on an end table that looks like a goat head or a gryphon type creature. The Roi de Denier is leaning on an eagle type throne/chair. Why only these two. What do the opposites mean?

Then there is the strange armour discrepancies going on with the courts. All the kings have armour and none of the Queens. That makes sense. Then the Chevalier des Deniers and Chevalier des Coupes have armour but the other two don't? Should not the Epees have amour? I would think so. Only the Valet de Baton has armour. Very strange.

Then there are little details. For instance the Chevalier des Coupes has a plain cup (the red detail is smooth) and only the X and VIIII have the same plain cups (they have the fancy ones in the middle.) The Chevalier des Batons is the only court of this suit that has an club that is not formed. Plus he has the weirdest cap I have ever seen. Reminds me of the Mongols (sp?) or something.

Let's not get started on the bizarre numbering that changes from suit to suit. And this is only what I have found so far! I'm not even done going through the whole deck. What do you make of these?

Hooked

 

[Bernice]

I've been looking at these cards in a haphazard fashion, not a systematic approach

So out with the spy-glass again and YES! the Chavalier des Eprees has a pistol! And also some 'decorative working' on the horse blanket. Rather odd that a such a well-weaponed (warlike) man should be looking backwards/sidewards instead of ahead. The horse seems about to plunge into a gallop.

I looked at the Chevalier des Coupes earlier and decided that the 'emblem' probably indicates that he's acting on behalf of someone else - an 'agent' or 'messenger'.

Lovely deck. I especially like that the swords and batons are so very clearly depicted.

Bee

EDIT: Just looked again at the Chevalier des Batons. What's that 'thing' at the front, beside his knee? Doesn't look like a pistol.

 

[Hooked on TdM]

That yellow thing? I have no idea I can't make it out.. Maybe a horn? LOL

H

 

[Le Fanu]

Wish I had my deck at hand. I want to participate in this discussion, and Im not going home tonight so can´t get it later either...

 

[mac22]

Hmmmm, never seen those before thanks.....

Mac22

 

[teomat]

Roi de Coupe is leaning on an end table that looks like a goat head or a gryphon type creature.

And he's either sitting on the tiniest throne ever...or on thin air!

Curiously, the Spanish Tarot (a deck based on a 1736 TdM) also shows this King apparently sitting on nothing...

 

[Bernice]

Originally Posted by Hooked on TdM
Roi de Coupe is leaning on an end table that looks like a goat head or a gryphon type creature.

The 'creature' appears to be the table-leg (?).
What in the world has a cloven hoof, ram or goat horns, wings, and face like a demon? The king looks quite melancholy....

Bee

 

[SolSionnach]

HoT, I'm so looking forward to getting my 1JJ - so I can follow your discussions!

 

[Bernice]

Let's not get started on the bizarre numbering that changes from suit to suit.

It is bizarre isn't it!

I tried Rosannes solution to bizarre numering on old TdMs, but it doesn't work with IJJ.

Funny thing about the Valet Deniers, there's a brown blob where other decks have a second coin (on the ground).

Bee

 

[philebus]

With regards to the inconsistent numbering on the suit cards. These would probably not have figured into the original design (many modern packs still omit any indices) and it is likely that they were added, perhaps at different times by different printers. The existing pack may even have been assembled from a number of older ones.