Tarot de Jaques Vieville (Flornoy)

Creator(s): Jaques Vieville, Jean-Claude Flornoy
Date: 1650*, 2012
Country: France
Publisher: Jean-Claude Flornoy
Number of Cards: 2 x 22
ISBN: 978-2914-820110   
Type: Mixed
Reference:  tarot-history







Notes:

The deck  was made around 1650 in Paris by cardmaker Jacques Viéville, who was active from 1643 to 1664. The technique used by Viéville for the making of this tarot was woodblock prints, coloured by means of stencils.

The Tarot of  Viéville was created in the same time and place as the Jean Noblet Tarot, but is quite different. Many cards do match the cards in the Tarot of Marseilles tradition but the Tarot of Jacques Viéville seems to also be related to  the "Belgian Tarot", the "Tarocco Bolognese", and The "Ferrara" Tarots.

The Tarot of Viéville has no titles on the cards and the numbers seem as if they were added to the cards images and forced into place in available space rather than as part of the design. Nearly all the subjects of Viéville's tarot look towards the opposite direction faced by the ones of Marseille,  the engraver for Viéville presumably "copied" this tarot in reverse, using the "right" side of an old printed sheet as model. This edition of the Viéville majors presents them as they appear in the original deck and includes a mostly reversed option as well.

Tarot de Marseille Jean Dodal

Creator(s): Jean Dodal, Jean-Claude Flornoy
Date: 1701, 2009 
Country: France
Publisher: Jean-Claude Flornoy 
Number of cards: 78 
ISBN: 978-2-914820-10-3
Type: Marseilles  
Reference: Encyclopedia of Tarot, vol. IV, pp. 685-687







Notes:
Jean-Claude Flornoy's Dodal restoration is based upon the only two surviving decks from Dodal's workshop; one kept in Bibliotèque Nationale in Paris, another in a British Museum. A closer study convinced him, that they both are printed from the same blocks.

The declared purpose of the restoration was to get back as close to the original deck as possible therefore Flornoy doesn't make any alteration to these decks, apart from removing the effects and damage of natural aging. Lines that are frequently broken or apparently missing weren't completed or added. For example in “LE FOL”, there's no line to define the Fool's left buttock, the 9 of wands appears to have one too many caps or heads on the wands, while the 8 of swords  has one too few.

 In the booklet that accompanies the Dodal deck, Jean-Claude Flornoy himself, for example, suggests that the figure to the right in “LE SOLEIL” was intentionally drawn one-eyed, in order to symbolize the relationship of student to master. In “LA MAISON DIEV”,  there's a gap in the line defining the cranium of the tumbling figure to the left. Flornoy suggests that this was intentional, a symbol of the “opening” of the mind to cosmic energies.

There are also some oddities in the titles of the cards that weren't corrected: “LA PAPESSE” is labeled “LA PANCES” in the Dodal deck. “L'AMOUREUX”  is  “LA MOVREV,”  “L'ETOILE” is spelled “LE TOILLE”.

Several of the cards have the inscription `F.P.LE-TRANCE' (fait pour l'etranger) or `made for export'. The cards are large, 132x72 mm, and are printed on quality playing card board (in Bibliotéque Nationale's catalogue  the size of the original cards is given as 123x66 mm). The Two of Coins declares the deck published by I.Dodali in Lyon, but bears no date. Initials, traditionally those of the engraver, are usually printed on the Chariots shield but are absent on this deck. The booklet accompanying the deck is in English and French and gives additional information on the history of card-making.

Les Tarots Marseille de Jean Dodal

Creators(s): Jean Dodal, Jean-Claude Flornoy
Date: 1701, 2002
Country: France
Publisher: Jean-Claude Flornoy
Number of cards: 22
ISBN:
Type: Marseilles
Reference: Encyclopedia of Tarot, vol. IV pp. 685-687






                                 
Notes:
In 2002 Flornoy recreated a majors only version of the "Jean Dodal Tarot". It is not a facsimile, but  rather a redrawing. The cards are coloured by hand using stencils. On his website Flornoy describes in detail the process of coloring this deck .

The deck came in a cream colored box with a paper band around the cards. It was issued in a limited edition of 650, mine was number 455.

The card number, in Roman numerals, is placed at the top of the card,  the card title at the bottom of the card. FORCE and LEMONDE carry the notation "F.P.LE.TRANGE", which means "Fait Pour L'Etranger", or "Made for Export", which has to do with the French Royal tax system at the time.

The Payen and the Dodal decks are so similar that a number amongst those interested have suggested that they were carved by the same hand, or at least in the same workshop.  Upon the Moon card of the Dodal deck, below the right-hand dog’s tail, on the dark green background above the waters, are clearly the initials of Jean Payen (I.P.).

Jean Noblet Tarot

Creator(s): Jean Noblet, Jean-Claude Flornoy
Date: 1650, 2007
Country: France
Publisher: Jean-Claude Flornoy
Number of cards: 78
ISBN: 2-914820-07-0
Type: Marseilles
Reference: Encyclopedia of Tarot, vol. II. pp. 307, 309. Encyclopedia of Tarot, vol. IV pp. 685






Notes:
The "Jean Noblet Tarot", originating in Paris, c. 1650, is the oldest known tarot of the "Marseille" tradition, . The only existing copy of this deck is preserved in the French National Library in Paris. It is a nearly complete deck, missing only the Six through Ten of Swords. This 78 card edition is a restoration done by the French Tarot historian and artist Jean-Claude Flornoy. The missing cards have been recreated by Flornoy.

Jean Noblet's Tarot uses the seven symbolic colours: white, the color of emotional saturation; black, representing the earth; red, representing blood and suffering; blue, representing blows to the body and soul; yellow, representing perseverance; green, representing hope; light blue, representing "understanding awareness"; and the additional flesh color.

The card number, in Roman numerals, is on the top of the card, while the card title, in French, runs across the bottom of the card.  The "Jean Noblet Tarot" is the first deck to identify Death as such with title and number. Prior to this, the card was superstitiously left unnamed. The Court Cards are labeled with title and suit across the bottom of the card.

The numbering for the Pips is along both sides of the card, but it is inconsistent. Some pips are unnumbered. some are only numbered on the left or on the right hand side. Six of Cups is numbered on the right and left hand sides of the card, but the right hand side shows the Roman numerals reversed, Eight of Cups is numbered on the right and left hand sides of the card, but the left hand side shows the Roman numerals reversed. The Swords are curved, with except the odd numbered sword, which is straight and placed in the middle.

Both the Two of Cups and the Two of Coins show the name and city of origin for Jean Noblet. The shield on the Chariot shows  the initials "I.N." for the engraver - Jean Noblet.