Tarot 1JJ - Müller

Tarot 1JJ- Müller- 78c.
 As this post will both mark my blg's first anneversary, and 100th post, I decided to do something special..............
 The following deck I am about to present holds a rather special place in my heart and collection- The tarot 1JJ by Müller.This deck was the first deck in my collection, and the circumstances surronding it's purchase are worthy of some explanation:
  It was in late 2009, Whilst I was shopping in London . Entering a toy shop, ( since defunct) I noticed a deck which was markedly different form the others. It was taller than other decks for one, and printed on it's label was the legend

TAROT 1 JJ

under which was the illustration form "the sun". Armed with the knowlede that such decks were once used for games ( Gratis the QI annual), I seixed upon the chance and purchased it.

 When I peeled back the cellophane wrapper, I was in for a bit of a shock. I knew that other countries ( like Italy & germany) used different suits than hearts, diamonds, spades & clubs. However, nothing could prepare me for the sheer amazement as I viewed the cards one by one...

I first noticed the delightful illustrations on the trumps- The grace of the figures, the gaiety of the colours, and the exotic french titles to the cards

( Incidentally, I later learnt that JJ in the deck's name, 1 JJ , stood for "Junon"and "Jupiter"- taking the place of the usual Popess and Pope. The change was in part due to political correctness)

More trumps-

The top 5 trumps and the fool

Next were the court figures. They were rendered as elegantly as the trumps, brandishing their suit symbols with grace- never had I seen more beautiful cards!

The kings & fool (again)

Queens

Cavaliers

Jacks

Nor did the pip cards themselves lack illustrations......

And With such a beautiful deck, How is it not possible to resist trying to find more like so?

French tarot ( Grimaud), part II

French tarot ( Grimaud), 78c.  -part II-  the trumps.
( for part I, discussing the court cards , see http://anthonylesq.blogspot.com/2012/02/french-tarot-grimand-part-i.html)
The trumps in the French tarot/ tarot nouveau , are markedly diffent from the mysterious images of the italian suited ones. Gone are "death", "temprance" and "the world", replaced by "13", "14" and "21"respectively. The cards bear innocent scenes for rural/city life.
The only card that has not changed drasticaly in both decks is the fool or excuse. The card in this deck is represented as a jester with a lute.

Gnav cards

"Gnavspil" ( gnav cards), S. Salomon & co. , reprint by SALK, 42c.  The game of 'Gnav" is a Danish descendant of the cuccú cards http://anthonylesq.blogspot.com/2011/10/cuccu-cards.html
, and when comparing the decks, the similarities are obvious.The game later spread to Norway, where it is more common ( I got this deck in Denamrk, at "den gamle by", the famous open air museum. The game is practicaly extinct there)

Gnav is usually played with small pieces , much like chess pawns. they have a little circle of paper pasted on their bottom, and by lifting up the piece, the value may be reckoned. However, sometimes, the game is played with cards, as shown here.

The highest ranking cards , which are shown below are [ L-R], the cuckoo, dragoon, cat , horse and house. These cards are collectively known as "matadors" and have special powers in the game
Below them are the numbers. They rank from 12 -0.

Now, the numbers run from 12 (XII) to zero (0) Below them , like in the cuckoo deck, a motley crew of subjects, viz; the fool, pot and owl ( in descending value)

"cuccú " cards

By masenghini.
40 cards, 20 subjects repeated twice,
viz:10 pictures, 10 numbers,
the highest card is numbered 15 (XV in roman numbers) with an owl on it.
there are 2 diffrent "XV" cards in the deck, as you can see with the image.
the pictures stop at XI (11) and then procced to a series of 10 cards, each numbered with a larg roman number, with an identical lakeside secne on each.
note the unusual way of writing "9", as VIIII rather than IX.

the numbers go down to IIII, III, II and I
then, we encounter a card, with the image of a yellow circle in which is the word "NULLA"( zero).
below it, there is a motley crew of subjects, evidently representing negative values like a fool ("MATTO"), a lion, and a bucket