Silk Inlaid playing cards for Charles I.
Silk Inlaid playing cards said to have been made for Charles I
Said to have been made in 1628 for England's Charles I, this pack is illustrated in the book: "Age of Kings", by Charles Blitzer, TIME-LIFE International, 1968 [See pages 19-29.]
In the picture credits (p.186), they are described as: "Playing cards made for King Charles I, by the Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards, inlaid silk, ca. 1628, courtesy Katharina Gregory, New York (Robert S. Crandall)."
Above: a total of 28 cards are illustrated in the book from what looks like a 52 card pack. The numerals 2-5 have serpents climbing up the tree stems, and all the pip cards are decorated with common flowers of the meadows and fields. Attempts are made in the book to relate the court cards to known personalities.
Metropolitan Museum of Art facsimile, 1970
Facsimile edition of hand-made silk inlaid cards, probably made in Germany just before 1700, published by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1970. Images courtesy Lev Golinkin.
By Simon Wintle
Spain • Member since February 01, 1996
I am the founder of The World of Playing Cards (est. 1996), a website dedicated to the history, artistry and cultural significance of playing cards and tarot. Over the years I have researched various areas of the subject, acquired and traded collections and contributed as a committee member of the IPCS and graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal. Having lived in Chile, England, Wales, and now Spain, these experiences have shaped my work and passion for playing cards. Amongst my achievements is producing a limited-edition replica of a 17th-century English pack using woodblocks and stencils—a labour of love. Today, the World of Playing Cards is a global collaborative project, with my son Adam serving as the technical driving force behind its development. His innovative efforts have helped shape the site into the thriving hub it is today. You are warmly invited to become a contributor and share your enthusiasm.
Activity for Silk Inlaid playing cards for Charles I.
Sign in to comment or save this article.
Related Articles
Uncut Sheet by Johann Jobst Forster
A proof sheet containing twelve court cards of conventional French type.
Hand-painted and Silk-inlaid playing cards
Complete pack of 36 hand-painted and silk-inlaid playing cards with French suits made in Germany.
Even More Trial and Error
“Even More Trial and Error” produced by the Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards, United Ki...
Bavarian pattern by Ernst Jegel
Bavarian pattern published by Ernst Jegel, Nuremberg, late 19th C.
Hans Sebald Beham
Playing cards designed by Hans Sebald Beham (1500–1550).
Suicide King
The King of Hearts, holding a sword behind his head, is sometimes nicknamed the “Suicide King”. He c...
Liebig Beef Extract
The first cards, or “chromos”, were published in 1872 and during the next 100 years almost 2,000 ser...
David James Binns
Hand-made “Tudor Playing Cards” by David James Binns, age 12.
Carreras Fortune Telling Cards
Carreras Fortune Telling Cards.
Cartes Lenormand
“Cartes Lenormand” published by H. P. Gibson & Sons Ltd, London, printed in Germany by B. Dondorf, 1...
German playing cards
Card-playing rapidly became popular in medieval Bavaria and German printers were quick to supply the...
The Joker Card
The 'Joker' is believed to have been invented by American Euchre players who, when modifying the rul...
Transformation Playing Cards, 1811
Transformation playing cards, first published in 1811. Each card bears a picture in which the suit m...
The Beggars’ Opera
The Beggars’ Opera Playing Cards were first published in 1728. The cards carry the words and music o...
Cries of London
The cards were printed from copper plates, with the red suit symbols being applied later by stencil....
Hewson Replica Pack
Hand-made replica 17th century English playing cards, based on museum originals.
Peter Flötner, c.1545
Seven cards from a satirical pack produced by Peter Flötner of Nuremberg, c.1545. The suit symbols a...
Hand-made Spanish Suited Playing Cards
Decks are made on two-ply pasteboard which reproduces the tactile quality of antique cards.
The Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards
The Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards was founded by Royal Charter in 1628.
Woodblock and Stencil Playing Cards
Around 1987 I decided to make a pack of playing cards from woodblocks and coloured with stencils. I ...
Most Popular
Our top articles from the past 60 days
