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ETTEILLA TAROT
Beginning in 1770, Jean-Baptise Alliette, who preferred to use a pseudonym of his name spelled backwards, published his first book, Etteilla, ou maniere de se recreer avec un jeu de cartes par M***. He gained a large following who paid well for his services that included astrological readings, card readings, custom-made talismans and spiritual counseling. However, it wasn't until the works of Antoine Court de Gebelin appeared 1781 that Etteilla turned his attention to the occult. Court de Gebelin wrote an essay, "Du Jeu des Tarots" appearing in Le Monde Primitif expounding the view that the Major Arcana of the tarot pack constituted the Egyptian hieroglyphic Book of Thoth, saved from the ruins of burning temples thousands of years ago, and containing the synthesis of all human knowledge and profound mysticism.
Etteilla's book, Maniere de se Recreer avec le Jeu de Cartes Nommees Tarots: Pour servir de premier Cahier a cet Ouvrage appeared in 1783 and depicted four tarot cards (9 La Justice, 10 La Temperance, 11 La Force and 12 La Prudence). Several years prior to Etteilla's death in 1791, an Etteilla pack was published with cards numbered from 1 to 78 and bearing regular and reverse meanings printed on each card, but the images did not include the four earlier Etteilla cards.
Variations of the Etteilla pack subsequently were published in the 19th century and are designated Grand Etteilla I, II, or III depending upon the extent of text on the cards and/or artwork. The Grand Etteilla cards that are numbered 1 to 21 and card number 78 bear similarity in imagery to the Major Arcana of the Tarot of Marseilles. The correspondences in Etteille packs compared to the Tarot of Marseilles are as follows: Etteilla card number 2 compares to XIX The Sun, 3 to XVIII The Moon, 4 to XVII The Star, 5 to XXI The World, 9 to VIII Justice, 10 to XIV Temperance, 11 to XI Strength, 13 to VI The Lovers, 14 to XV The Devil, 15 to I The Magician 16 to XX Judgement, 17 to Death, 18 to IX The Hermit, 19 to XVI The Tower, 20 to X The Wheel of Fortune, 21 to VII The Chariot, and 0 to The Fool. The remaining Etteilla cards numbered 1, 6 to 8 and 12 depict images not refective of traditional Tarot of Marseilles designs. Cards numbered 22 to 77 are the Minor Arcana or pip cards running in sequence from king of clubs (card 22) to ace (card 35) followed by the suits of cups (36 to 49), suit of swords (50 to 63), and coins (64 to 77). Kaplan, I & II, var.
Grand Etteilla I Tarot, circa 1850s?, Germany, card maker unknown, 20 of 78 cards (includes Major Arcana 1-5, 7, 9-17, 24, 36, 48, 68 and Folly), hand-colored copper engravings. Cards are full length figures, double-ended card titles or meanings in German, cards 1 to 5 and 9 to 12 have titles reading upright instead of reversed, cards 2 to 5 and 7 have text across the top (card 2 has the second element for fire and 1st day of creation, 3 has the first Element for water and 3rd day of creation, 4 has the third Element for air and 2nd day of creation, 5 has fourth element for earth and 6th day of creation, 7 has the seventh day of creation being the day of rest), cards 1 to 5, 7 and 9 to 12 have signs of the zodiac on upper left side (1 Aries, 2 Taurus, 3 Gemini, 4 Cancer, 5 Leo, 7 Libra, 9 Sagittarius, 10 Capricorn, 11 Aquarius, 12 Pisces), the 2 of cups card number 48 has uncolored panel at bottom, the 10 of coins card number 68 is also uncolored in panel at bottom but includes a sextant, Arabic numerals, unusual Italian suits, two indices. round corners, Backs are overall geometric design of asterisks within dotted circles in red. Size 4 5/8 in. (11.6 cm.) high, 2 9/16 in. (6.4 cm.) wide. Some brown spots and stains, worn, card 78 has crease.
Details
Grand Etteilla I Tarot, circa 1850s?, Germany, card maker unknown, 20 of 78 cards (includes Major Arcana 1-5, 7, 9-17, 24, 36, 48, 68 and Folly), hand-colored copper engravings. Cards are full length figures, double-ended card titles or meanings in German, cards 1 to 5 and 9 to 12 have titles reading upright instead of reversed, cards 2 to 5 and 7 have text across the top (card 2 has the second element for fire and 1st day of creation, 3 has the first Element for water and 3rd day of creation, 4 has the third Element for air and 2nd day of creation, 5 has fourth element for earth and 6th day of creation, 7 has the seventh day of creation being the day of rest), cards 1 to 5, 7 and 9 to 12 have signs of the zodiac on upper left side (1 Aries, 2 Taurus, 3 Gemini, 4 Cancer, 5 Leo, 7 Libra, 9 Sagittarius, 10 Capricorn, 11 Aquarius, 12 Pisces), the 2 of cups card number 48 has uncolored panel at bottom, the 10 of coins card number 68 is also uncolored in panel at bottom but includes a sextant, Arabic numerals, unusual Italian suits, two indices. round corners, Backs are overall geometric design of asterisks within dotted circles in red. Size 4 5/8 in. (11.6 cm.) high, 2 9/16 in. (6.4 cm.) wide. Some brown spots and stains, worn, card 78 has crease.