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Two Tarot de Marseille Deck Reviews
by Jean-Michel David
These reviews first appeared on Aeclectic.net – reproduced
here with minor modifications.
Camoin-Jodorowsky Tarot de Marseille
The World, Camoin-Jodorowski Marseilles
There are numerous Tarot decks in print that use the appellation Tarot
de Marseille. Many, of course, are not published
nor printed in Marseille, but follow the designs commonly
associated with this southern French maritime city.
The creators of this deck, one of whom claims to be a descendent
of the Conver family, utilised and compared various versions
of this style of deck, and sought to re-create it to its
original splendour. It is obvious that they were principally,
but not solely, influenced by the early (1760) Nicholas
Conver deck. This latter, incidentally, is still available
as a reprint from three publishers: as a limited edition
cardboard collector's deck from the Camoin
House, from Lo
Scarabeo in Italy, and from Héron in Bordeaux
(in my view, the best edition).
Though both Jodorowsky and Camoin had access to many
historical representations, they on occasions opted for
the more familiar Marteau colouring (as found in the more
popular Grimaud version of the Marseille deck), and 'added'
clarity to many aspects which were only hinted at in the
earlier versions (such as the hind-legs of the horses on
the Chariot, or the 'snake' at the bottom of Temperance,
or again the 'ramp' upon which the figure of the Star kneels
upon). In some of these and yet other cases, I personally
would have preferred the ambiguity to remain, as the rendition
chosen appears to be more an interpretation rather than
clearing an intended depiction.
In some instances, they have perhaps drawn from an oral
tradition which was then incorporated, even if it meant
altering the illustration. For example, the figure closest
to the ground on the Tower is usually depicted as falling
on the rear part of the Tower, and thus hidden. There is
a tradition which mentions that this figure is really falling
out of a partially open but out of view door. In their deck,
they have placed this door in view (as is found on some
uncommon decks), thereby altering the rendition, and removing
the ambiguity as to whether the person is falling down
the side of the building, or from its (rear) door.
In other places, they could have added clarity but unfortunately
didn't. For example, in a Schaffhouse eighteen hundreds
deck (also published as Tarot
Classic by US Games), the curved swords are clearly
swords, with their hilts not confused with the tip of adjacent
blades.This is even more evident in such some Bolognese
tarot decks. It should be noted that the Schaffhouse deck
has many significant differences to Marseille style decks
- as one example, the Hanged Man's two legs are straight.
As mentioned above, and as in most early French decks,
the Swords are all curved and crossed when even-numbered – except
for the ten which has two straight swords. If odd-numbered,
the pairs are crossed and a single straight sword is placed
in the middle. The Batons as straight. In a reading, they
are thus easily differentiated.
As with all early Tarot decks (with the exception of
the Sola-Busca,
which does not follow Tarot tradition in either its Major
or minor Arcana depictions), all pip cards are ornate,
but no scenes are depicted. The suits follow the more common
Tarot tradition of Batons, Cups, Deniers or Coins, and
Swords, rather than the related but less popular Diamonds,
Clubs, Hearts and Spades or yet other suits. The ten-of-cups
card is therefore illustrated, albeit ornately, with ten
cups.
Some early decks, such as the Visconti-Sforza,
kept their Atouts un-numbered. Most others, as with all
the very early numbered Tarot decks, numbered these using
the Roman additive style (there is thus no zero, and nine
is written as VIIII). Also, and following traditional numbering,
Justice is VIII (eight) and Strength XI (eleven).
This is adhered to by Camoin and Jodorowsky.
As with the other available Marseille decks, this deck
is a must for those interested in symbols of perennial
mediaeval esoteric representations. For those who wish
to use it as a tool for developing the Imaginative faculty,
then this is, in my opinion, amongst the better modern
Marseille-style decks, and hence amongst the best Tarot
deck, yet available. It is certainly worth adding to any
serious Tarot enthusiast's collection.
I would personally rate this deck, for its artistic merit,
traditional integrity (despite inclusions that may have
been better avoided), and esoteric symbolism (even in the
minutia of detail), three out of five stars.
Note: At the time this review first came out, Marseille
tarot availability in the English speaking world was extremely
difficult, and thus rated this deck more highly. It would
be unfair to have left my review untouched by changes that
have occurred over the past six years.
Visit the Camoin
House Tarot Website.
Hadar Tarot de Marseille
Kris Hadar's The Basteleur
Having written the above review about a year earlier,
I received the also recently re-designed Marseille deck
by Kris Hadar - again a truly marvellous Marseille rendition,
and unlike, for example, the Convos that in my view just
lacks so many of the generic deck's finer qualities!
For Kris Hadar, 'the Tarot is a Cathedral wherein each
may in prayer discover within one's existential labyrinth
the path to one's salvation!' (p18 LWB, my translation).
When one truly believes this, then surely depth of care
will weave itself into the deck's re-design.
In order to avoid repeating some of the general comments
I make in relation to the Marseille, I take the previous
review as read.
The Hadar deck, according to its printed date, came out
in 1996, two years before the Camoin-Jodorowsky.
What Hadar appears to have done is carefully consider
various representations and made careful judgements about
whether a detail ought to be included or not. For most
cards, I do think the choices made are inspired. If one
compares, for example, the hem of Temperance, Hadar has
maintained the careful ambiguity of a possible snake-like
depiction, without thereby destroying such ambiguity as
has occurred in the Camoin-Jodorowsky. At other times,
however, I do not think he was careful enough with the
details, and went with the more common depiction. Again,
and for example, the triple nipple upon one of the figures
on XV the Devil card, also found, for example, upon the
1760 Conver, has not been incorporated - though possibly
purposefully. Another detail which many early decks include ambiguously is
the hind-legs of the horses on VII the Chariot. Both
Camoin and Hadar remove the ambiguity - Hadar doing
the opposite of Camoin and following the Marteau rendition
by deleting the ambiguous lines altogether. A last example:
the platform's ambiguous outline upon XVII the Star has
been retained.
Like the box which contains it, there is an overall flavour
of blu-ishness to the deck. This however, is more
of a tonal quality, for the colouration and figures are
quite beautified when compared to the woodcuts from which
the earliest Marseille decks originate.
If the Atouts are wonderfully re-presented, an even higher
praise can be said for the Court cards, except for the
flatline of the horizon. Here, Hadar has really presented
an un-surpassed modern rendition of a Marseille. Unlike
most others which, to my mind, fall a little in this domain,
Hadar has maintained careful attention to the Marseille
spirit: the Page of Coins has no title, no additional detail
has been added - and none subtracted.
The pips remain beautifully illustrated, though again,
I wish that, as I mentioned for the Camoin-Jodorowsky deck, Hadar
had paid attention to the clarity of the hilt of the curved
swords, so as not to confuse these with the tips of adjacent
blades (as clearly differentiated in, again, the Schaffhouse
deck). To have maintained Saul Marteau's initials upon
VII the Chariot and upon the two of Cups I just do not
see merit in - nor in having inserted the misleading 1181
date adjacent his name and 1996, both of these latter of
course expected, on the two of Coins (though it may be
worthwhile indicating his e.mail response to this query
in the Forum section of this Aeclectic.net -
and I should also add that I personally strongly favour,
and have earlier mentioned, a 1196 symbolic dating for
the earliest 'Marseille' - these dates remain, of course,
illegitimate based on historical evidence).
The titles and the back of all cards are also craftily
executed - the back a beautiful reversible patterning.
As stated on the box (for a change a good size, by the
way, which doesn't risk damaging the cards as one attempts
to re-enter therein the deck and its little white booklet),
'the originality of this Tarot also resides in the particular
care given to the back design as an aide to improve the
art of divination' (my translation - oh, yes, I nearly
forgot - the little white book is all in French, though
this may be because of the Swiss provenance for my copy
of this Canadian-designed deck).
Overall, another three-star masterpiece for a Marseille
Tarot deck - my only problem will now be to which of these
modern creations to recommend, the Camoin or the Hadar?
Note: as mentioned above, I originally gave a higher
star rating to this deck.
Visit the Kris
Hadar Tarot website.
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