RWS: Colour coding ?

Rusty Neon

I'm curious as to what extent, if any, the publisher (Rider) dictated the colours used. What have the tarot historians concluded in that regard?
 

Rusty Neon

a 1910 Rider

http://www.tarotpassages.com/wtcrevelers2.htm

"The Original 1910 RWS deck Stuart Kaplan Bought on Ebay for a Piddling Sum of $8,000+"

Scroll down to 4th photo.

This particular Rider deck has colours that look like those of the so-called _Original Waite_ deck available at your local bookstore. Other 1910 Riders have colours that look like those of the U.S. Games 1971 Rider-Waite.
 

Cerulean

Just a buyer's note

I was happy to see Rusty Neon's reply and the picture of the original 1910 set. In a March 2002 presentation about the Rider Waite, I heard Mary Greer ask Holly Volley if there was a reprint by U.S. Games based upon the $8,000 set, was it a better printing in colors or lines? The answer from Holly Volley was no, not in her opinion. Mary Greer suggested the yellow box set by U.S. Games was as close as one could get now.
My only warning to collectors fussy about original print colors not to buy the blue boxed set that is titled "Original Rider Waite" by U.S. Games---it's a reprint that has aged run colors such as mustard and greeny tones where clearer colors should be. In a sense, to me, it's like the contrast between the clearer printing in the past two years and the old greeny Thoth printing.
For awhile I was enamored about the Giant Rider Waite because I got a better sence of printing and lines in the paintings.
Recently for $10 plus shipping, I bought off of E-Bay a 1971 Rider Waite (No addition of a later date in the booklet, which does appear, for instance, in the Giant Rider Waite. On the cards, however in both copies, the copyright by U.S. Games seems to be 1971). This looks like the current U.S. Games version bought in the yellow box, but there might be some line variations that Holly Volley's site or discerning eyes have noted differences (such as Love added to Pixie Smith's signature, etc.).
Hope my two cents adds a bit of clarification.
Mari Hoshizaki
 

Rusty Neon

(1) Actually, mari, the colours of the _Original Waite_ in the purple box look a lot like the colours of the 1910 deck that Kaplan acquired on ebay. In both those decks, the blues look greenish.

(2) Does anyone who has both the 1971 Rider (standard size, in the yellow box) and the current US Games Rider (standard size, in the yellow box) notice anything different between the cards in terms of colour values and identifying marks? I have only the 1971 version. I have been thinking that the only difference is that the titles in the 1971 Rider are hand-lettered while those in the current Rider are replaced by type font titles.

(3) Does anyone who has both the 1971 Rider (standard size, in the yellow box) and the US Games Giant Rider notice anything different between the cards in terms of colour values and identifying marks?

Thanks in advance!
 

joszefja

Aren't y'all proud of me, I searched to see if my question was already brought up. :)

This thread is quite interesting, but it doesn't entirely answer my question (not surprisingly, since I wasn't even here when it was going on...)-- is there an "official" symbolism associated with the background colors in the RWS deck? For that matter, *is* there "official" symbolism for this deck? Like a book by Waite or something of that nature?

Thanks as ever,
Josie
 

Rusty Neon

joszefja said:
For that matter, *is* there "official" symbolism for this deck? Like a book by Waite or something of that nature?

The closest thing we have is Waite's book describing the cards: _A Pictorial Key to the Tarot_. However, he leaves many details unexplained, because he was formerly a Golden Dawn member and didn't want to break oaths of secrecy.
 

paradoxx

I only have an electronic version of the original Rider Waite with a cd set called "Tarot Magic" (I really need to reinstall that too). As for actual decks i have the universal waite, i do like it since the details of the cards are enhanced by the shadings. I would like to see the combindation of this style of detail shading and the oringal colors.

Richard said:
My understanding is that all the colors are important, if you're into the Kabbalistic and astrological meaning behind the cards. (I am, which is why I don't have, say, the Universal Waite, even though I think it's much prettier over all).

I appreciate your loyalty to the orignal artwork but i do recommend www.facade.com and trying out an electonic reading with the Aquatic Tarot, trust me, you'll be impressed.

ypu can view the entire deck @ http://www.atarot.de/AquaticTarot/ despite the minor problems with the details of the deck (it is water color after all and that is hard) i picked up on some interesting vibrations. A great deal of effort has been put into this deck and is worth looking at. (some of the details are wrong though, the king of cups for example is looking the oppisite way than the actual rider decks)
 

TemperanceAngel

What intrigued me a lot about RWS card colors is this:

My first deck I bought in Australia, many cards are blue (oh and what a blue!)

I moved to Scotland for a few years and found that not only are the backs of the cards' different, flowers as opposed to stripey, BUT the blue cards are GREEN.

How very bizarre that they are different between countries??

It gave me a new insight into the deck, but I gotta tell you that I much prefer the blue!!

Anyone have any thoughts??

XTAX
 

Phoenyx

Oh my gosh, I just saw the Aquatic for the first time....oh my gosh, it's GORGEOUS! I think I just found my fourth deck to get. ;)