Description

• Standard tarot card size of 2.75″ x 4.75″
• Printed on premium 310gsm card stock
• Long lasting, linen finish for ease of shuffling and spreading
• Sturdy, elegant tuck box with the card back design printed around the outside

Historical Information
This restoration is based on the 1820-1845 tarot deck created by German-born master cartier Jacob Jerger in Besançon, France. The original decks were printed from carved woodblocks and colored with stencils.

The Tarot de Besançon is derived from the earlier Tarot de Marseille. The most notable difference is the replacement of the Popess and Pope with the Roman gods, Juno and Jupiter. Experts believe these figures were changed to prevent offense in regions with diverse religious beliefs.

Other distinctive characteristics include the description “France J Jerger” on each trump and court card. Additionally, the back design features a marbled paper pattern, which originated from bookbinding practices in France and Germany, and was common throughout the 17th and 19th centuries.

This deck was digitally recreated by Krisztina Kondor with the assistance of William Rader. They studied the decks preserved in The National Library of France and researched their history to understand the images. To create consistency, the same color palette was used throughout the deck. The misaligned coloring was corrected, and details were also enhanced.