Crystal Tarot

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Greg the Yeti
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Crystal Tarot

Post by Greg the Yeti »

A plea to anyone who may have the original deck. The one with the "White Line All Round"

There are two readilly available versions of this deck. I have both. I don't like either because both have cropped the original lovely artwork and substituted cards with extra numbers and words not in the original.

I know that these were published, since the images are used in "The Tarot Bible". A Tarot Majors version is still available but the images in "The Tarot Bible" show many more of the cards!! I want the whole deck!

I have e-mailed both publishers begging them to re-publish the original, and said I for one would be prepared to pay a premium for it! I had no reply and neither have re-published them, now several years later!

I have searched suppliers and online - no joy!

If any Orphalese user has them, could they please share them? With original interpretations if possible, but without if necessary!

Please - Please - Pretty Please!
Greg the Yeti
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Re: Crystal Tarot

Post by Greg the Yeti »

Just for accuracy, the Tarot Majors only deck that I do have was published as "Tarrocchi di Vetro" and had only Italian names on the cards. That's no problem!!

What I don't know is whether the whole deck published under the same name? or as "Crystal Tarot(s)" like the two more recent mangled and spoiled offerings?

Does anyone know Sarah Bartlett, the author of "The Tarot Bible", which used them so profusely in it's illustrations. She must have access to the "Whole" pack! Can anyone persuade her???

Pretty Please! With a Cherry on Top.
Greg the Yeti
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Re: Crystal Tarot

Post by Greg the Yeti »

Hi everyone!
I've still not heard from anyone with regard to the "Crystal Tarot" / "Tarrocchi di Vetro" with the lovely white lines right around the whole image (like in the Majors only version) but with the whole Deck of 78 cards.

That is how the artist originally created it and I know the Deck was produced and may have been sold, since many of the images are in "The Tarot Bible".

PLEASE anyone who has this, could you share it! (at a really good resolution please...)
Pretty please with 15,000,000 cherries on top!
Since it is most definitely "out of print" I reckon there is no moral problem with copying it! (perhaps the law thinks differently?)

Regards Greg

With regard to that high resolution:- If you were able to share fairly high resolution scans (separately from the P2P since that couldn't cope with the size) I would be more than willing to do all the rest of the work in making it a really excellent Orphalese conversion...
"I Lerv that there Deck!"
Greg the Yeti
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Re: Crystal Tarot

Post by Greg the Yeti »

Hi,
I just got a "Topic Notification" but when I arrived here there was no new post. So I think someone posted and then deleted??? Having changed their mind?

Anyway I went on the P2P and checked again and found a version I had not found last time.

It's still "Cropped" but does contain the central image of all the cards. Plus it contains notes which look as if they may be the originals? They're certainly fairly "Universal" so they will do nicely whichever!

Thanks to that sharer!
Now the big question - Does that sharer have the original scans of the cards WITH the borders still intact?

The White Lines:-
Many people may have thought that they were not original, or may not have like them?
"Cropped" cards are to some people's taste and not to others!!

So why do I like the "White Lines" and think they were original?

"Original":-
Yes I'm pretty sure that Elizabetta Trevisan drew them like that originally because the images of the "Majors Deck", which I have, show that clearly!
The "White Lines" are not "Computer Generated", perfectly straight and hard edged lines, that you would expect if some editor at Lo Scarabeo had added them after...
The Edges of the lines are NOT quite straight, they have "paint like effects" on the edge, smudges, however you want to call them.
According to what I've read Elizabetta painted the images on Glass Blanks (hence the name of the Deck!)
I believe that she THEN carefully SCRAPED OFF the white lines.
I don't know what tool she used, but knowing what I do of Woodworking Techniques, she probably held one finger on the edge of the glass, while the tool moved in a parallel line with that. (I just hope that she didn't cut herself on the glass edge!!)
SHE did it - not the editor at Lo Scarabeo (with a computer)! It was an artistic effect. It was deliberate and she reckoned it as an enhancement to the images!
I like it!!!

"I like it!":-
Yes, I've "cropped" a few Decks myself... Where lots of seemingly irrelevant details have been added. In some cases the effect can be an improvement!
however I've noticed that cards look better with a border, a plain white border. So I've started to put plain white borders BACK on cards that I had "Cropped".
Non-Original Numbers, Titles, and Multiple Languages (and any other "intrude-ose")have been removed and stay removed, but with the Plain White Border, the image on the card now really glows (as if the person looking were "On Something"!!!)
The colours of the images are brighter, bolder and "in contrast" with the Border.
Elizabetta clearly had a similar feeling when she created this Deck, even adding an "Extra Border". I agree with her that the effect enhances the images.

So the big question now is - will you share those uncropped images? As a service to other Orphalese users? As a favour to a "Pain in the Arse" like me???

Pretty Please - with 15,000,000 cherrries on top!

Regards
Greg

P.S. - I always say 15,000,000 because I was born at No. 15, so it's a lucky number for me!
P.S.2 - I'm not personally in favour of removing Titles or Numbering that were genuinely "Original" to the Deck!
Lady Marian
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Re: Crystal Tarot

Post by Lady Marian »

Hi Greg,
It was me who deleted my previous post. I realized that the deck shared was cropped. The deck I have with borders only has the majors. Just want you to know that I have searched everywhere on the web and cannot find original scans of the cards. Hope someone out there will post them for you. The deck has been out of print since the early 90's.

Regards,
Lady Marian
Greg the Yeti
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Re: Crystal Tarot

Post by Greg the Yeti »

Thanks Lady Marian.
Yes I've searched long and hard, quite a few times!
AND e-mailed Lo Scarabeo, who published the two different "Cropped" versions I have, BEGGING them to republish it.
Unfortunately I think the artistic editor at Lo Scarabeo finds it to be an "insult" to his work on those Cropped Decks and therefore wont play ball?
Nevermind - thankyou again - and if I keep this post "alive" then perhaps one day ...

Regards Greg
P.S. Can't you get Robin to come and save the day?
Lady Marian
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Re: Crystal Tarot

Post by Lady Marian »

Hi Greg,
Robin suggested purchasing the deck off of ebay but those are the cropped versions.

Regards,
Lady Marian
Greg the Yeti
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Re: Crystal Tarot

Post by Greg the Yeti »

Hi Lady Marian,
Say "Hi" to Robin for me!

Yes I got stung on ebay already:-
I saw one of those decks and from the description it was impossible to tell exactly what it was just from the photos (one of which if I remember showed one of the cards WITH the full border) an Italian Title, and that it was x78.

But in hope and trepidation I ordered it - but got one of the two "Cropped" versions. Damn! Leaving me with a total of three of those two. And I don't like them enough even to give them away as presents....

I can't blame just ebay or the seller for "Not giving enough information", I have to also blame Lo Scarabeo for Publishing a "Cropped" version and then using a NON CROPPED image in all the literature about it - LWB etc! Now that's mis-selling if ever there was!

Just to help anybody else who wants to avoid bee stings but sees a promising looking Deck on e-bay, here are the three I've got:-

"Crystal Tarot" - x78, Multiple Languages, Misleading "Un-cropped" image on the LWB, As well as being "Cropped" it has had a blue "Oval" superimposed behind the images.

"Tarocchi Di Vetro" - x78, otherwise exactly the same as above, with the same misleading LWB with an "Uncropped" image of the Fool on the front.

"Los Tarots de Cristal" on the box, "I Tarocchi di Vetro" on a Title Card inside, x78, no LWB but interpretation cards instead. Probably the better of the two "Cropped Versions" since it doesn't have the intrusive "Blue Oval" behind all the images!
- - -
Majors Only Version, x22, Full "White line and Picture Border", Numbers and Italian Titles only, LOVELY:- Actually I don't have hard copy of this, it is one I downloaded from the P2P. I don't approve of using a Deck without owning it, but in this case I had already got three versions of the x78 Deck, at least two of which I considered were "Mis-Sold", so I am in this case "un-repentant"! I've paid them plenty on this one!
Go Go Go, Lo Scarabeo, Sue me! I'm sure you'll come out looking like poo!

In the past I have shared several versions,
a) a fully "Cropped" version, with all the added MultiLanguages removed AND the top and bottom of the original White Line removed as well. A bit like the version currently shared (but not as large).
b) another "Cropped" version, removing all the "Added" intrusive elements but LEAVING the top and bottom parts of the Original White Line. I called this "Crystal (Half of) Elisabetta Trevisan's". Imight re-share this, since it does have a little extra "Light" compared to the fully Cropped versions.

I hope this helps any other "Orphalese Questers" in search of the Holy Grail of "I Tarocchi di Vetro".
Just avoid the Bee Stings and repeat the following incantation before any important purchase:-
"A big, big curse on the artistic editor at Lo Scarabeo - who thinks he's so great! - and please forgive all my excesses, in search of the Holy Grail - Amen."

Regards
Greg
Lady Marian
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Re: Crystal Tarot

Post by Lady Marian »

Hi Greg,
Have you reached out to the artist, Elisabetta Trevisan, to ask if she has an original deck? Maybe you could send a message to her through Facebook.https://www.facebook.com/etrevisan

Regards,
Lady Marian
Greg the Yeti
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Re: Crystal Tarot

Post by Greg the Yeti »

Hi Lady Marian,
That's a good idea! Thanks - I'll try that...
I wasn't even aware that she was still "around". But yes a very good idea!
I'm gonna have to put on my very best "Tactful and Polite" hat!!!

Thanks and Regards
Greg
P.S. I don't even know if she speaks English...
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