Favorite Marseilles based styles?

It took me awhile to find this portion of Aecletic...and people are away!
Can we discuss favored historical designs or what top TdM decks that you like?
I'd like to explore my modern Angels Tarot (Robert Place) and Tarot of the Master (Vachetta?) more...I'm more attuned to my Ancient Tarots of Lombardy (Neoclassical 1810)...
I like my Viscontis, Ancient Tarots of Lombardy, Di Gumppenberg variations and Tarot of the Master/Vachetta variations.
I actually bought two books, Tarot Decoder by Katherine McCormick and the Treasure House of Images by Gareth Knight because they both discussed Marseilles designs more than others. Once in awhile I try to make out more of my Antichi Tarocchi Lombardi book and do searches on this deck...
Hope this is a good start for a thread...

edited

diana: yes LOL i am

mari, can you attach some examples of the decks you mention, like every strenght card of them decks, or just put some online so we can see, i don't know most of these decks.
i got my camoin a couple of weeks ago, jmd has invested in this company, i also bought it on his advice. i love that deck
and i have a soprafino, that's a gumppenberg, you can see pictures of different decks in all the threads in this forum.

kaz

Marseilles type decks

I've just read through some of the threads here and its left me with a question :-

Is the 1JJ Swiss a Marseilles deck or a clone?
I know its supposed to be based on an old deck but was only printed for the first time in the 60's/70's?? (not sure about that). The style is old medieval like the woodcutter styles and it has pip cards, no scenes. Just wondering

I'll post online links later (after my working day).
Tom Tadforlittle has samples of the different patterns and Andy's playing cards has discussions of history of regional developed patterns for tarocchi games and samples.
Stuart Kaplan's Swiss deck commentary says it was done in late 19th century. My named decks were prior to that, so I'll post deck by deck links later.
Best wishes until then,
Mari H.

Just a few reflections on what's been posted here so far...

I have the Ancient Tarots of Lombardy deck, which I bought because I wanted a classical Milanese tarot. However, since then Kaz turned me on to the Soprafino Tarot, also originally by Gumppenberg (about 1835), and I ordered it through the Alida Store, San Marino. It's a beautiful deck, along the same lines as the 1810, but it puts the 1810 version in the shade.

I've heard that the classical Milanese tarots, while Italian, are modeled on the Marseilles patterns. So that would mean after tarot began, it crossed the Alps into France after about 100 years, underwent slight alterations there, and then the direction of the influence was reversed.

That 1JJ Swiss tarot isn't really a Marseilles pattern because like all the Swiss tarots of the time it replaces the Papesse and Pope with Juno and Jupiter. Kaplan says the modern version is somewhat different than the woodblock pack that was produced in the 19th century and is shown in the Encyclopedia, V. II.

Finally, I need the ordering information for that Camoin deck everyone is talking about.

Catboxer

Tom Tadforlittle's Milan-style tarot comparisons, includes link to Marseilles comparisons:

http://www.tarothermit.com/milanese.htm

The Soprafino is gorgeous...but I have odd preferences for more delicate detail and engravings at times. Even the numbering and titles, a sketchy blur as if it was a pen and ink wash can assist me to be more meditative...as if I was drawing from life and had to pay attention. So there are times the Neoclassical helps me. Below, if you want more detail.

Italian Neoclassical/Ancient Tarot of Lombardy images and descriptions:

http://www.spiritone.com/~filipas/Masquerade/Reviews/neoclass.html

Below is an online link to the new December 2000 edition images, as Lo Scarabeo changed the backs and backgrounds to the Neoclassical, so it has more of antique feel, in comparison to the delicate and bright coloring of the above. Amazon.com and Llewellyn has a picture of the December 2000 edition's new box. Below, Lo Scarabeo's pictures of their newer edition:

http://www.loscarabeo.com/catalogo/files/lombardyancient.htm

I'm still working with the 1995 and 2000 versions...kind of prefer the softer look of the 2000. Hope these notes help to see.

Mari H.

I posted this as a reply to general question, may also be helpful for Marseilles study:

http://english.letarot.com/pages/25journey.html

I finally found my Liguria Piedmont, Bologna and old crude TdM copies...they seem more strictly TdM patterns for this study group.
You can see copies of them at www.loscarabeo.com

Best wishes---I look forward to studying with the group whenever the forum master comes back.

Mari_hoshizaki

i have been looking up the decks you posted. my favorite remains the soprafino, but the lombardy one from loscarabeo is a beauty as well and resembles the soprafino, i might get that one to read with. soprafino is a limited edition for the colection.
and i have the camoin deck, which i like a lot and the visconti gold, also beautiful.

kaz

The Aeclectic link to the Camoin deck is available at the bottom of the card view (unfortunately, I have no financial stake in this company, and any product I have from them I have, so far, fully paid for - this may, one may always hope, change !).

Mari_Hoshizaki, thanks for those links. The LeTarot site is superb, and I must admit I hadn't recently looked at it and had not noticed the English translation on this site.

Likewise, the tarothermit and Mark Filipas sites are more than well worth a look!

With regards to the Suprafino deck, I must get those details, Kaz and catboxer!

... and by the way, Mari, there is no Forum Master here. Solandia is ultimately responsible for having made these Forums possible, Kaz and I 'moderate' (ie, we move posts which may need moving or deleting - which hasn't occured in this section yet), and the rest of us are co-contributors, deepening our own knowledge and interests through mutual gifts of contributory postings - please join us!

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modified to add:

... with regards to the original thread question, my favourite Marseilles deck remains, at this stage, the Camoin!