catboxer
After making a couple of not-so-good deals on e-bay, I think I finally came up with something. I managed to acquire an old Marseille Deck, published in Besançon by Renault between 1800 and 1820.
These were printed from the woodblocks made in the mid-18th century by J. Jerger, also of Besançon. Apparently Renault purchased the used blocks and printed a new edition. The only difference between the two decks that I noticed, besides Jerger's mark being effaced from some of the cards, is that the stencil work in Renault's version is not as carefully done as Jerger's.
However, I still won't have the Marseille Deck I've always wanted. While this deck is complete, it's the Swiss pattern -- no Popes; good old Jupiter and Juno intrude on the trump sequence, courtesy of your local clergyman, to muck up what otherwise would have been a perfect find. Oh well, you can't have everything, and I'll keep looking...
But I did get these cards for well under $1000. A good deal, I think, but the quest continues...
Check 'em out at http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2199744105&category=1438
These were printed from the woodblocks made in the mid-18th century by J. Jerger, also of Besançon. Apparently Renault purchased the used blocks and printed a new edition. The only difference between the two decks that I noticed, besides Jerger's mark being effaced from some of the cards, is that the stencil work in Renault's version is not as carefully done as Jerger's.
However, I still won't have the Marseille Deck I've always wanted. While this deck is complete, it's the Swiss pattern -- no Popes; good old Jupiter and Juno intrude on the trump sequence, courtesy of your local clergyman, to muck up what otherwise would have been a perfect find. Oh well, you can't have everything, and I'll keep looking...
But I did get these cards for well under $1000. A good deal, I think, but the quest continues...
Check 'em out at http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2199744105&category=1438
