I'm in love with a Frenchman! (and his name is Jean Noblet)

Promise

My Noblet arrived from France this evening, and I'm absolutely smitten.

I never thought I'd be one to get into reading with a Marseilles; I always looked at them as ugly and narrow and just totally unappealing. But a dear friend of mine insisted that I own at least one Marseilles, and that that Marseilles be the Jean Noblet, and he proceeded to order one for me.

Honestly, I don't think I've ever been so wrong about anything in my entire life!

When I hold the deck in my hands, I feel like I'm holding a piece of something ancient and arcane. I've never felt quite this way about a deck before, or even Tarot in general. Not only is it a new deck for me, but it's an entirely new system, an entirely new mind-set that I get into when I'm flipping through the cards.

I think it's IDS time for me! I've never felt strongly enough about a deck before to consider one, but I think this is it for me.

teomat

I was going to do the IDS with the Noblet too, but unfortunately my interest in it is waning.

I think it's just a bit too 'crude' for me - I much prefer the more 'refined' look of the Conver or Burdel. They seem more universal to me, whereas the Noblet seems very individual and bit too personalised.

I agree it's full of character, but it feels a bit too comical for me (especially the courts). And the line art is a bit TOO simple compared to the Conver or Burdel. They look like drawings you'd used in a newspaper cartoon, and I can't take them seriously (I know that sounds really pompous, but I can't phrase it any other way!

)

I'll keep it on the backburner for now...and maybe focus on the Thoth instead!!!

le pendu

teomat said:
I was going to do the IDS with the Noblet too, but unfortunately my interest in it is waning.

I think it's just a bit too 'crude' for me - I much prefer the more 'refined' look of the Conver or Burdel. They seem more universal to me, whereas the Noblet seems very individual and bit too personalised.

I agree it's full of character, but it feels a bit too comical for me (especially the courts). And the line art is a bit TOO simple compared to the Conver or Burdel. They look like drawings you'd used in a newspaper cartoon, and I can't take them seriously (I know that sounds really pompous, but I can't phrase it any other way! )

I'll keep it on the backburner for now...and maybe focus on the Thoth instead!!!

Once you've gone "French"...

We'll ask the Queen of Batons to put away her nipples until your return.

lilith_in_tree

I just received my Noblet this morning (super fast shipping from France, by the way, I was shocked)--and I'm with Promise, totally smitten! This deck is a beauty. The cardstock is wonderful, the size is perfect. This is my first Marseille, I'm hoping to take the correspondence course for it, and I'm just thrilled with my deck. I also received the Dodal Temperance card with a nice note from Roxanne, and I'm pretty sure the hand-colored Majors are in my future

Promise

I got the hand-coloured Temperance with a note on the back, as well. Isn't it just a lovely card? I'm afraid the Majors are in my future too, at some point. For a first Marseilles, it's quickly making me Marseilles-obsessed.

I love the cardstock, and the way it shuffles. I was dreading it being a slick, uber-glossy mess, but thankfully, it's matte and still glides well in the hand. Love it!

Maybe I'm strange, but the card backs are always the first thing I look at when a new deck comes from its box, and I just love these. They're not all identical, rather they're like a big puzzle. Yes, I actually lined them up and made a big puzzle out of it.

Oh, the things insomnia will do to a person...

lilith_in_tree

That's interesting about the card backs, I didn't notice!
And a question for those that have the hand-colored Majors--are they coated at all? The sample card I received doesn't seem to be, I was wondering if the actual deck is any different.

le pendu

lilith_in_tree said:
That's interesting about the card backs, I didn't notice!
And a question for those that have the hand-colored Majors--are they coated at all? The sample card I received doesn't seem to be, I was wondering if the actual deck is any different.

I suspect that you have an extra card very much like what to expect from the hand stenciled decks. WONDERFUL isn't it? Isn't the color amazing?

Just in case anyone doesn't know... this is how they make the 22 card decks:
http://www.tarot-history.com/The-Atelier/index.html

My memory tells me they used SOAP to coat the cards, I could be wrong, and hopefully will be corrected if I am. (edit... see below)

DO get them, they are amazing, and it is my impression that they do NOT intend to continue making them this old-fashioned way... so once they are gone...

EDIT:
And I AM wrong (again!). I found this from jmd:
http://www.tarotforum.net/showpost.php?p=232713&postcount=7
from this old thread:
http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=21619

lilith_in_tree

Thank you le pendu, it is a wonderful card--I looked at that page showing how the cards are made, it's really remarkable to think that there are still people who put so much love and care into a craft the way M. Flornoy does.
I think I must have the Dodal Majors--the hand-coloring really is something. So delicate, really different from the printed Noblet. And I love the faces of the Dodal--they seem almost wistful, where the Noblet is more amusing and cheeky. Maybe for my birthday in a few months I'll get myself a present

And I just saw your edit, I'm off to read that thread!