Nicolas Conver Tarot
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[edit] Description
The Nicolas Conver Tarot, first published circa 1760, is a well-known version of the Marseille Tarot. Other well-known versions are the Jean Noblet Tarot and the Jean Dodal Tarot first published circa 1650 and circa 1701, respectively.
The Conver deck is arguably the best known historical version of the Marseille Tarot in modern times because of Paul Marteau, at the time owner of the large card-manufacturing Grimaud house, who redrew the deck based on a model of the Conver deck. The Marteau deck was first published circa 1930 by Grimaud as the Ancien Tarot de Marseille. Grimaud continues to publish the deck to this day.
[edit] Colour palates and colour schemes
The Conver deck was published by Nicolas Conver and his successors between 1760 and 1880. During that period, there were different colour palates and colour schemes used.
[edit] Bibliothèque nationale model
While the colours of the model of the Conver deck that is housed at the Bibliothèque nationale (BN) in Paris have faded and changed due to age, wear and tear, the original palate of colours used in that model are generally accepted as consisting of the following seven colours:
- black
- dark blue
- sky blue
- flesh, i.e. beige
- red
- gold (on a few cards)
- white
The BN model (including its colour palate and colour scheme) served as
- the basis of the photoreproduction deck published by Héron,
- the basis of Jean-Claude Flornoy's restoration of the Nicolas Conver Tarot, and
- the starting base for the Jodorowsky-Camoin Tarot de Marseille.
[edit] The model used for the Lo Scarabeo photoreproduction
The model (LS model) used for the Lo Scarabeo photoreproduction deck marketed as "Ancient Tarots of Marseilles" appears to be similar to the BN model in terms of colour palette and colour scheme, but with present day differences in hue. The greens and yellows in the LS model in its present day condition are more vibrant, perhaps because of differences in colour fading over the centuries or perhaps because of differences in original hues.
Rather than the seven colours, the LS model appears to use six colours (i.e., the seven colours of the BN model except gold).
The colours of the LS model do not appear to have been applied by the printer as carefully as they were on the BN model. Quaere whether this suggests that the LS model was a lower-priced version issued by the printer.
[edit] Circa 1880 model of the Conver deck
In the 19th century, the Conver printing house printed a version of the Conver deck using a palette consisting of six colours (being the seven colours of the BN model except gold). As evidenced by a circa 1880 model of the Conver deck (in the custody of the Camoins, descendants of Conver, and later donated to the City of Marseille), the colour scheme used was substantially different from that used in either of the BN or LS models. Although it uses six colours, the colours blue, red and yellow predominate in the 1880 model's colour scheme.
[edit] Grimaud Ancien Tarot de Marseille
Inspired by the 1880 model's colour scheme favouring the predominate use of blue, red and yellow, Marteau used the seven colour palette of the BN model but predominately used the colours blue, red and yellow. However, the colour scheme used by Marteau is substantially different from the 1880 model and from either the BN or LS models.
[edit] Other noteworthy differences between the BN and LS models
While the BN model is complete with 78 cards, the LS model is missing the 6 of Batons. The Lo Scarabeo deck replaces the missing card of the LS model with a 6 of Batons that is a 'doctored' version of the LS model's 7 of Batons.
[edit] Creator(s)
Nicolas Conver (may be a pseudonym)
[edit] Publishing details
ISBN To be added
[edit] Date of Publication
first published circa 1760
[edit] Publisher
Nicolas Conver
[edit] Deck creation and/or publication process
To be added
[edit] Creator's comments
Unknown
[edit] Reviews
To be added
[edit] Online Deck Images - links
- Tarotchoco Tarot de Marseille by François Chosson.
