Piatnik 19451 "Marseille Tarot Card Game (78-Piece)

Although I have worked with this deck pretty extensively in the past, I did not have the chance to acquire it until a few days ago, when I happened to see it on Amazon. I couldn't believe the low price the seller was asking. So I took the plunge and ordered. I am so glad I did! First, I must say that the shipping was extraordinarily fast. I ordered this deck on Friday, and I have it now, Monday. The seller, WC Corp, did an exemplary job getting it to me in perfect condition. As to the deck: This deck has very warm, lovely reds, deep, forest-y, mossy greens, a rich yellow, and both a deep and a pale shade of blue. Like other decks in this family, it appears to have been made via woodcut and stencil coloring. Damage to the woodcuts is evident throughout the Trumps, especially on Le Bateleur (whose upper left arm is half-missing, and whose eye is damaged), Le Chariot, and elsewhere, yet the deck manages to retain almost all of its charm. L'Amoreux, La Lune, and Le Soleil are among the loveliest I've seen in any Marseille-type deck. The imagery seems to be an eclectic mix of TdM-I and TdM-II, e.g. Le Chariot's canopy has TdM-I style scallops and La Lune is full faced; however, the putto in L'Amoreux is not blindfolded (which is a TdM-II characteristic). This deck also has some unique features: Le Pape is crosseyed; La Justice looks as though she's spent a rough night out on the tiles, as it were, and Le Diable and his minions look more like drunken frat boys than imps. (Of course, maybe those two things are the same?) However, Trump VIIII, L'Eremite, is my absolute favorite Hermit in ANY tarot. Someone once described him as looking like a Yeti, and that's totally apt. I don't mean to give the impression that one could not read "seriously" with this deck. The faces are, for the most part, very readable and often surprisingly rich in the varied depiction of human emotion. L'Imperatrice has a rather wistful expression; the trio on L'Amoreux shows a complex interplay of emotions. La Papesse is so wise, benign, and yet a little remote, as she should be. Again, the "Yeti" Hermit would satisfy Diogenes in his search for a "real" man, a wise person. The occasional cockeyed or "drunk" expression is nothing more than we'd see on any given Tuesday at WalMart. In the many hours I've worked with this deck at my friend's house, I've gotten some very profound readings from it. If you're looking for a gorgeously polished deck, go for the Madenie or the Heron Conver. If, instead, you are open to a sometimes flawed, always unexpected, completely human experience, you can't go wrong with the Piatnik. Like Auntie Mame, it's just a bit quirky, over-the-top,and wholly marvelous and wonderful . One of my favorite TdM ever. As to its provenance, the Two of Cups reveals that it was made in Brisgau by one Ignaz Krebs. I do not know the date. The cardstock is just perfect, not too shiny or slippery, nice and thick, but not too much so. The LWB has an interesting approach to the trumps, and the divinatory meanings given for the minors are completely different from the RWS meanings so prevalent (might one say endemic?) in the US. The cards' backgrounds are a pretty ecru/off-white. They shuffle beautifully and they should last for a lifetime of use. Overall, this deck looks much more costly than it is, a special, wonderful treasure to be handed down to a new generation, rather than a mere commercial product to be mass marketed. Recommended!

These cards are an essential for anyone into Tarot de Marseille (TdM). I have 15 or more TdM decks including many restorations by Yves Renaud, but there is something super special about this deck and it's at an amazing price for a facsimile of a historic tarot deck. These cards are probably the roughest or crudest of any of the historic Marseille decks, but they are incredibly enchanting. I actually ordered a second copy of this deck because it was so affordable and neat. It's a very sturdy high quality deck with , in my opinion, very good card stock. (The reviewer who said the cards felt plasticy was mistaken. They aren't at all.) TdM lovers are almost certain to be pleased but if all you know or care to know is moddern occult tarots like Rider Waite, Thoth, etc., TdM decks may seem boring or stupid to you. I've seen people gives 1-stars to Marseille decks because Justice is VIII and Strength is XI. They say it is "wrong" and thing the card maker was so stupid she or he mixed up the numbers. The TdM also invites you to really think in a deeply abstract way via the "pip cards". E.g. The 5 of Cups has a picture of 5 cups adorned with some flowers. The number cards do not have scenes on them like modern decks do, and some people don't realize this and get mad about that too. Reading the number cards in a Marseille Deck is a huge undertaking that requires a lot of study and contemplation, however a simple reading three cards from the Major Arcana can answer any question in life and you don't need to use the number cards if you aren't prepared to study them deeply.

Love, love, love this deck! If you're looking for a quality card stock Marseille deck that isn't restored to the point of being sterile, this is a good choice. I love the roughness of the artwork . The colors are muted and easy on the eye. These cards have character and I find them rustic and charming. It's like holding a piece of history. And the price is wonderful, I can afford to get two decks, one to work with and another for my starter Marseilles collection.

If you are a Tarot de Marseille fan, and/or a fan of historical tarot decks, get this deck! It is beautifully printed, retaining its historical authenticity. It has not been restored and cleaned up. Vibrant colors; interesting, expressive faces on the majors and court cards; and excellent card stock. Service was excellent and I received the deck very quickly. Oh, and did I mention - a fantastic price?!? Highly recommended.

5 Stars for the cards. 2 for the tuck-flap box. Nothing to add to other reviewers' comments re the cards. Excellent quality in every way. The box the cards come in is a different story, however. The box was designed too tightly. One can barely extract the cards from it initially. Attempting to reinsert them safely is a nightmare. I suggest throwing the box away after opening to avoid the inevitable temptation to try to reinsert the deck, thus risking damage to your cards. (Not exaggerating. The box tolerances are truly that tight.) A shame, as a mm or two added to the flap and the depth of the box would have made all the difference. Regardless, the quality of the cards is worth the purchase of this deck.

The box came open and the cards were not in order even though it was listed as new but other than that I think this decks is the best quality deck I own to this day. They are so thick yet easy to shuffle. Even though the print looks ancient (it's authentic look kept untouched) it also gives me warm fuzzy feelings that I never thought I'd got from a Marseille deck. Love it. (Paid almost the same amount to the shipment because of my countrys shipping policy and high customs tax. I don't regret it.) Thanks for making it available for this part of the world..

I own the 1984 version of this deck and was disappointed by the difference in print quality. The 2018 edition looks like it was made from a low-res scan; The lines are fuzzy, details are lost, and the overall artwork feels washed out. Cardstock is comparable, but the images are a big downgrade. If you’ve never seen the older version, you might not notice but once you have, it’s hard to unsee. I've attached comparison photos so others can see what I mean (1984 edition is to the right). I am surprised that this passed quality control.

If you like your Tarot de Marseille rough, this may be your cup of tea. The cards are far from ugly, but the cuts are rough with little artistry, and the plates and inks hit hard and are strong in some bits, and very week in others. I wish I had my other Marseille (this is actually from Piatnik Vienne... Austria) to compare particular features with, such as on XII, "LE PENDU" is written just under the head, but at the top, the Roman numerals read backwards, 11X. A nod to Etteila? I had a devil of a time distinguishing some of the club/wand cards from the sword cards. The four of cups has no Roman numeral. The more I look at this, the more I like it, but perhaps it isn't the best deck for a beginner (like myself). The product information on what I received is as follows: Tarot of Marseilles. Platnik-Vienna. The accompanying booklet says "No 1945 , 140.411.61. It is written by Georg Gottlob, January 1984. One card shows the two of cups, under which is written: TAREAU.FIN PAIT PAR IGNAZ KREBS DE FRIBOURG EN BRISGAU. Another says, "Reprint 2006 Piatnik EDITION." It is copyrighted 2006 by Piatnik and is printed in Austria. The box and booklet are printed entirely in English. The ISBN is 9001890194511. The box shows the 1984 copyright date and nowhere indicates that this is a 2006 reprint, and also shows, on the card inside, a 2006 copyright date. The barcode has a web address over it, www . piatnik . com. If you think you are getting a 1984 edition, all I can say is that I didn't. I hope that is helpful in some way, as the information provided on the Amazon page doesn't give many details one would hope to see.