Tarot of the masters [Vacchetta]

temperlyne

I was wondering If any one of you has ever worked with the tarot of the masters and how you liked reading with it.
I have seen some examples of card images and fell in the love with The moon, but didn't get a good idea of how 'workeble' the deck is. I plan on using my decks and not just keeping it on the shelf as a collecters item so some reviews on this deck would be appreciated before I rush to store and buy it.

Temperlyne
 

Diana

temperlyne: Which deck is this exactly? Would you mind providing a link? I have done a Google search, but didn't come up with anything conclusive. Thank you.
 

temperlyne

sorry, meant master

I'm sorry it's supposed to be the tarot of the master.


http://www.ecauldron.com/trttotm.php

I hope someone will have used the deck and can tell me something about it.

Temperlyne
 

jmd

Here are other links for the Vacchetta Tarot:

Aeclectic's database (and Solandia's review);
Tarot Garden (type: 'Vacchetta' in their search field);
The Wheel;
Mystic Eye.

In addition, Kaplan's Encyclopedia of Tarot, vol 1, p 166 shows most of the Major Arcana (in black and white). Good to see this deck is back in print!

I do not have this deck, and had only read about it in Kaplan's work (which doesn't mention the fuller illustrative qualities of the pips). Thanks for the important reference.
 

temperlyne

thnx guys!
I decided on getting the deck and hope that reading with it will give sort of an authentic feel.
It seems more subtle than the RW yet easier to read than the other pre 1900 decks and I'm looking forward to trying it out in a reading.
 

ihcoyc

I have this deck, though I have never tried to read with it. The review on Amazon.com is mine.

It is a quite interesting deck. There may be some attempt at creating divinatory symbolism in the Minors, though it's hard to see what you could make of the sequence of Roman emperors in the suit of coins. The court cards are quite lively and have distinct personalities.

The majors are based mostly on Marseilles symbolism, with some Classical touches. The Sun and Moon, for instance, are Apollo and Diana.
 

Cerulean

Jost Amman/Vachetta versions

1. a. that might have influenced Vacchetta's designs:

http://www.trigono.com/tarots/carte-tedesche-XVI-sec.htm.

b. A historical link to the design of the late 1500s of Jost Amman, looks similar to Vachetta designs:

http://l-pollett.tripod.com/cards66.htm

2. I'm putting the Vachetta's Il Menghello version on my wishlist. Mystic Eye carried some color scans so you can see the difference. If you want something different from the mass market Lo Scarabeo version, the publisher Il Menghello doesn't have keywords.:

http://themysticeye.biz/pics/vacchetta.htm

4. Alexandra Genetti's site had an offer to look out for the Vacchetta in black and white copies to color in, as in her paintings:

http://l-pollett.tripod.com/cards66.htm

Otherwise I suggest Alidastore.com, tarotgarden.com and trigono for comparisons of different versions. I think that I'm going to order the Jost Amman, which is not colored in, and the Vachetta with the colored in engravings together, so I will try trigono again.

http://www.trigono.com/tarots/naibi.htm
 

full deck

Il Meneghello is better

I like the Il Meneghello "I Naibi di Giovanni Vacchetta (Torino, 1893)" version better than Scarabeo's.
I got the Tarot of the Master (Scarabeo) and while it seems to read well for me, the reproductions seem a bit muddy and cartoonish. I think this is due to the lower line screen used in the printing and the problem of duplicating the more subtle watercolor used in a four-color medium. I did not like the backs much either since I could easily tell when a card was full or reversed (I change my reading style to accommodate for this, so I live with it). As many others have expressed, I strongly dislike having the card's "meaning" or interpretation in the margin. It's like drinking grape cool-aid when one really wants wine.

Eventually I will give this set away and maybe get the Il Meneghello version instead since I like the basic design very much.

P.S. Thanks for the link Mari :)