Which is the best and easiest Marseille deck to use?

Emily

Actually I've done a bit of a turnaround - after using the Burdel and realising that most of my TdM's are cleaned up and re-coloured versions apart from the Thunderbay Conver which I never liked, I decided that I needed authentic looking decks.

So I ordered the Madenie and the Chosson from Amazon but they are the versions done by the Tarot of Marseilles Heritage Site, Yves Le Marseillais posts here often. You can see these decks on his site.

These decks are stunning, I can't decide whether they are lightly laminated or no laminate but they shuffle smoothly and feel good in the hand also quite thick card, square cut corners, the deck stands proud. They come in a two part sturdy box with a lift off lid. Both of the decks have the same quality and attention to detail.

It is the Madenie that is my favourite, I like the colours used and the expressions on the faces, the attention to detail is breathtaking, I didn't realise I would like it as much as I do but I'm already thinking of getting a second copy because I'm going to be using this one. It feels like such a special deck but needs to be used and enjoyed. The Chosson is probably feeling left out but it too is a special deck, it's just that the Madenie has really caught my eye.
 

Michellehihi

I recently bought on ebay a beautiful TdM by Naipes Heraclio Fournier and I love it, the colours are more like watercolours than ink.
 

Barleywine

I recently bought on ebay a beautiful TdM by Naipes Heraclio Fournier and I love it, the colours are more like watercolours than ink.

I have the Fournier TdM (not sure its the same one) and I find its vibrant recoloring quite inviting. The cardstock and finish are also superior. I realize I should have something more faithful to the tradition, but the Fournier I find very accessible.
 

Cesar

The Grimaud is a restoration of the Conver.

I cannot share this view. For me, the Grimaud is a new edition of a deck produced by Arnoult and published by Lequart, dated in 1748 some time before the Conver. As a matter of fact, that deck was not a Tarot de Marseille, but a Tarot de Besançon. The edition of 1910 is available in digital format here following this link: http://brbl-dl.library.yale.edu/vufind/Record/3829868

Paul Marteau recolored this deck in a new way, which is very far from the Conver coloration.

The site of Yves Rénaud has a reproduction of an earlier version of this deck and some interesting explanations, dating later the production of the cards: http://tarot-de-marseille-heritage.com/english/historic_tarots_gallery.html

Either way, I find it difficult to consider the Grimaud as a restoration of the Conver.
 

coredil

I cannot share this view. For me, the Grimaud is a new edition of a deck produced by Arnoult and published by Lequart, dated in 1748 some time before the Conver. As a matter of fact, that deck was not a Tarot de Marseille, but a Tarot de Besançon. The edition of 1910 is available in digital format here following this link: http://brbl-dl.library.yale.edu/vufind/Record/3829868

Paul Marteau recolored this deck in a new way, which is very far from the Conver coloration.

The site of Yves Rénaud has a reproduction of an earlier version of this deck and some interesting explanations, dating later the production of the cards: http://tarot-de-marseille-heritage.com/english/historic_tarots_gallery.html

Either way, I find it difficult to consider the Grimaud as a restoration of the Conver.

Completely agreeing with you.
Thanks for pointing to these informations.

One can also add that with the Etteilla (typ one) the Ancien Tarot de Marseille (which is how is called the Marteau/Grimaud deck) is one of the very rare historical deck that has been continuously been in print until today.
It is indeed a nice Marseille deck to use and as a plus you get a piece of living tradition in your hand.
 

Richard

.......I find it difficult to consider the Grimaud as a restoration of the Conver.

Your point is well taken. It is a senantical issue regarding the term "restoration." In the future, I may refer to the Grinaud as a "version" of the Conver rather than a "restoration."

Here is how I see it. After Marteau's "rectification" of trumps II and V, it was no longer a Besançon, but the line drawings are essentially those of the Conver. You are correct that no attempt was made to follow the Conver coloring. Of course, for that matter, the CBD also does not strictly use the Conver coloring.
 

Cesar

Of course, for that matter, the CBD also does not strictly use the Conver coloring.

I like the CBD because it is a very honest deck. And you are right in that it does not strictly follow the colors of the Conver. It does not either follow the lines of the Conver if we consider that the the CBD has some kind of straight strokes which do not exactly reproduce the lines of the original deck.

I think that the best Conver based deck is the ISIS, which translate in a very precise way the Tarot de Marseille to our time and technology.
 

Richard

......I think that the best Conver based deck is the ISIS, which translate in a very precise way the Tarot de Marseille to our time and technology.

I totally agree.
 

Michellehihi

I have the Fournier TdM (not sure its the same one) and I find its vibrant recoloring quite inviting. The cardstock and finish are also superior. I realize I should have something more faithful to the tradition, but the Fournier I find very accessible.

Here are pictures of my deck I was talking about.
 

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Michellehihi

I just received the Gaudais TdM which I am not sure I like, because the major arcana are reversible, that means that each figure is cut in half as you can see on the pictures.
 

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