Tarot

1845 · 121 — <p>Original complete divination card deck</p><p><em>Grand Jeu de Mlle Le Normand</em></p><p>The most used divination deck beside Tarots</p><p>Card Deck<em>. </em><em>Grand Jeu de Mlle Le Normand</em>. Paris B.P. Grimaud c.a. 1845.</p><p>Complete deck 128 x 9 cm 54 chromolithographic cards printed on thick cardboard with French suit-marks. Each card except for the Querent cards includes a variety of zodiacal classical and modern images. In addition there is a miniature playing card illustration in the top left corner and a letter of the alphabet in the top right. The two Querent cards representing a man and a woman depict figures dressed in 17th-century clothing. The backs of the cards are adorned with violet geometric designs with rounded corners.</p><p>The <em>Grand Jeu de Mlle Lenormand </em>takes its name from the famous French bookseller necromancer fortune-teller and cartomancer Marie Anne Lenormand although there is no definitive evidence that these cards were used by Lenormand herself.</p><p>Her deck was later reprinted in English-speaking countries under the name: <em>Grand Jeu Lenormand Astro Mythological Cards</em>.</p><p><em>The Grand Jeu de Mlle Lenormand </em>is known for its intricate and intellectual iconography featuring complex scenes based on Greek mythology. Each card includes multiple layers of symbolism including references to astrology alchemy and divination.</p><p>Each card features:</p><p><!-- if !supportLists-->· <!--endif-->A playing card reference</p><p><!-- if !supportLists-->· <!--endif-->An astrological reference/constellation</p><p><!-- if !supportLists-->· <!--endif-->A letter of the alphabet</p><p><!-- if !supportLists-->· <!--endif-->A central image which is a particular scene from Greek mythology</p><p><!-- if !supportLists-->· <!--endif-->Two further smaller scenes depicted on the bottom left and bottom right of the card</p><p><!-- if !supportLists-->· <!--endif-->A particular flower bottom centre.</p><p>The primary elements for divination are the central image and the two smaller scenes at the bottom with the other symbols providing additional context and meaning.</p><p>The 52 all but the Querent cards cards can be divided in 5 categories :</p><p><!-- if !supportLists-->· The Conquest of the Golden Fleece which represents Business 6 cards</p><p><!-- if !supportLists-->· <!--endif-->The Trojan War representing the Right of the Strong over the Weak 9 cards</p><p><!-- if !supportLists-->· <!--endif-->Hermetic Knowledge based on alchemy which represents Marriage and more generally relations between people. 7 cards</p><p><!-- if !supportLists-->· <!--endif-->The Zodiac Cards representing an amount of Time. 12 cards</p><p><!-- if !supportLists-->· <!--endif-->The Unexpected. 18 cards.</p><p>Marie Anne Adelaide Lenormand 1772–1843 also known as Marie Anne Le Normand was a renowned French bookseller necromancer fortune-teller and cartomancer especially famous during the Napoleonic era. It is said that notable figures such as Marat Robespierre and Saint-Just sought her counsel and received ominous predictions of their deaths. She is also reputed to have had connections with Empress Joséphine and Napoleon Bonaparte as well as Talleyrand the French minister who navigated France through the Congress of Vienna. Lenormand is widely regarded in France as the greatest cartomancer of all time instrumental in the rise of French cartomancy that began in the late 18th century.</p><p>An identical deck can be found in the collection of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France BNF: <u>https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b10510163j/f7.item</u>;</p><p>Conditions: Light marks of use overall in excellent condition.</p><p>References: Catherine Perry Hargrave <em>A History of playing cards</em> Dover publications 2021; Peter Endebrock 2021; Henry Rene D'Allemagne <em>Les cartes à jouer du XIV au XX siècle </em>Paris : Librairie Hachette 1906; W. GURNEY BENHAM History of the Pack and Explanations of Its Many Secrets Read Books 2019;</p> B.P. Grimaud