Number of Cards: 78 + 3 variations (Ace of Swords, Ace of Wands, Page of Wands)
Card size: 12.3 x 6.6cm
Packaging: Handmade envelope with a 4-colour hand-painted design (Clairefontaine verge paper 130gr)
First limited edition. Each deck is numbered from 1 to 400, and signed on an additional card.

The Dodali Tarot is the result of two years of research, rendering and restoration.

Restoration of the Iean Dodal Tarot

To redraw the tarot of Iean Dodal, I referred to the only two extant copies of this iconic tarot, preserved in the National Library of France (Paris), and the British Museum (London). My approach to tarot restoration is always to preserve as faithfully as possible the character of the original woodcuts. In my redrawing, I made the most of high-definition scans, but it was only by comparing my prototype to the museum originals, card by card, that the fine-tuning was accomplished.

Colouring the Digital Print Edition

An innovative process combining hand-colouring and digital art allowed me to reconstruct the traditional colouring methods. Each of the six colours was applied by hand, using separate stencil sheets. This six-step process facilitates organic colour-blending and produces a more subtle result. Next, a high-definition scan was digitally overlaid with the textured line drawing. This hybrid technology adheres to Tarot Sheet Revival’s goal of authentically expressing the poetic character of historical tarots.

Particularities of the Dodali Tarot 

A meticulous study of the originals allowed me to observe that trump card XII, LE.PANDV, was originally engraved in an upright position, as in the Belgian tarot tradition. This subtle difference, which explains the apparent inversion of the Roman numeral (IIX), can be inferred from the orientation of the card backs, which feature a non-reversible motif. It is a very meaningful characteristic of this French tarot that is often overlooked. It is absolutely certain that on the original mold, the card name was engraved upside down, and not the Roman numeral. Comparing the two copies in Paris and London, I detected differences between three cards. My edition replicates both versions of these cards, namely an Ace of Swords, Ace of Wands, and Page of Wands, giving a total of eighty-one cards.

Iean Dodal, card maker in Lyon.

Iean Dodal was a Lyon business owner active between 1701 and 1715. He manufactured his tarot for export purposes only, as evidenced by the mention on several cards of “Faict pour le Trange” (F.P.LE.TRANGE), or “Made for Export”. It is probably for this reason that his name appears Italianised on the Two of Coins, hence the name of this edition of the “Dodali Tarot”.