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An Incredible Bargain!

I looked up the Eduardo Dotti deck in Kaplan, V. II. These are nothing short of the highest quality woodblock cards I've ever seen. Ordinarily, you'd have to go to engraving to get definition this clean and clear. There are also pictures of all the blocks on pages 371-2. They appear to be in pristine condition, except for the block that has five impressions each of the five of coins, ace of swords, and ace of clubs, which has a vertical crack. Still, there are four each pristine pictures on that block.

In other words, anyone who had the blocks could produce the deck, unless somebody somewhere still holds a copyright, which I doubt. A person could either cut stencils for painting them, or print them off as a color-your-own pack.

And the cards are magnificent; this is truly high art, and tarot to boot. The price is low considering what the buyer would be getting. But alas, it's not low enough for me.

I am going to bid on one of the other decks, however.

Best of luck catboxer...

We've only just bought a block of land an hour's drive from our home, and so cannot afford to even consider bidding - though I would opt for the 1870 Swiss Marseilles if this had come up only a month ago!

... maybe next time for me!

I can't stop looking at these cards...

The Negri Tarot deck that is....

Every day almost I go back and do this search just to look at these images, and they have invoked a soul-memory right out of my subconscious that has me floored, on a personal level.

But, if any one who knows about these older decks, can you tell me ... is the Negri based off an earlier Italian deck? What I'm soul-searching for are the illustrations I would find on an Italian deck circa late 1600's, (approximately)?

I know this would be an extremely early deck, only a few hundred years after the early wood blocks, if I have my Tarot histroy right. But please, if you know how I can see such a wonderous thing, do pray tell??? I know nothing of these decks except what my heart remembers when looking at them, and I really need to find out more.

Any books I might find useful as well?

Alissa:

That's a woodblock version of a Milanese Soprafino-style deck. They were very common and all the rage in northern Italy during the last two-thirds of the 19th century. The Negri is very similar to the cards that would be produced by those Eduardo Dotti woodblocks, on sale at the top of the list. These decks are about the highest quality woodblock cards you'll ever see.

You can buy a very nice reprint of the engraved version of that deck for not much dinero. It's sold as a stamped and numbered limited edition by the Alida Store in San Marino, under the name Tarocco Soprafino (1835), and I think it was a little over 20 bucks (I have it, and like it a lot -- truly beautiful cards). Just go to www.alidastore.com. They're nice folks to deal with, too, although their site is a little difficult to navigate.

You can either do that, or buy the Dotti blocks for thirteen-eight, and produce your own cards. Either way, you'd be getting a bargain.

WoW! Thanks catboxer! Since I can't shell out either 13K, or 2K for cards, perhaps something more affordable, but not authentic, would do the trick.

Besides, I would never even touch a real Dotti deck to read with. At least, not very often

Does the deck have pips pictured, I'm assuming, for the minors?

Yep -- it's pips, not pictures. Pictures on the suited cards didn't come in until PC Smith did the Rider-Waite Deck in 1909 (with the exception of that old Italian semi-tarot, the Sola Busca).

I have to say that the Alida store deck is a little clumsy to read with, however. The cardboard is quite heavy and stiff, and the backs are paper, pasted on to the cards, with their edges folded over on to the front. It is possible to read with them (I've done so), but not real easy. They're both stiff and fragile at the same time.

But they're still worth having because the pictures are drop-dead gorgeous. And if those images speak directly to your subconscious on such a personal level -- well, I'd say you probably must have them.

I saw the decks, but I have a question (jokingly): how do you shuffle wood blocks??

*Kiama drules... Runs to count how much money she has...*

20p? Will 20p do?

Well, I'll just have to dream. Or marry Stuart Kaplan.

Kiama

How exciting!

I put in a bid today on the Lando deck. There's very little bid activity in that area, so I'll probably get it.

It's a 1760 Marseilles, but made in Italy, not France. The condition is "worn." but all the cards look to be clearly decipherable. There's what appears to be a stain on the Chariot card. The Knight of Cups and 10 of Swords are missing. Still, I think the price is low, considering what one would be getting.

I'm hoping it's the only known copy.

The chance of actually owning something like this really has my blood up.

Kiama, don't you have any rich relatives?

Did I Miss It?

Did someone buy them all?

I'm not seeing any of the exotic stuff y'all are describing...

(whimper)