Jeu de Tarot (Catel & Farcy)

The colour palette used in this standard French Tarot pack of the 1960s is both bold and diverse – much more so than in the version by Héron . In particular, strong greens, reds and blues stand out. These give strength to the images on the trump cards. On those same trump cards one can find the manufacturer’s initials ‘C’ and ‘F’ intertwined in opposite corners. There is no mention of the manufacturer’s name on any of the other cards. However, some other packs in Catel & Farcy’s range, including “Clavecin”, are listed on one of the extra cards. The box carries the wording “Nouveau Tarot”. This may simply be Catel’s way of indicating that the drawing and colouring of their Tarot are a bit different from those of their competitors. See the box

Above: standard French ‘Bourgeois’ Tarot made and published by Catel & Farcy, France, c1965. 78 cards + 2 extra cards + leaflet with Tarot rules in French, in tuck box.

This version of the Jeu de Tarot by Catel & Farcy is thought to have been in print between 1958 and 1973. See the leaflet