Johann Nejedly Tarok Cards
Johann Nejedly, a 19th-century Viennese card maker, produced Tarock cards featuring modern scenes that reflect the artistic and cultural trends of the time.
Johann Nejedly, a card manufacturer, is documented in the formerly independent village of Ottakring, which has been part of Vienna since 1892. The surname Nejedly suggests Czech origins, as “Nejedlý” translates to “inedible” in English. In 1862, Johann Nejedly obtained a license to produce cards, with the last known pack dating from 1896. The company offered a wide range of products and underwent dynamic technological development typical of the second half of the 19th century. Among the common products of this period are tarock cards of the “Industrie und Glück” type, which exhibit several distinctive features that set them apart from typical productions of the time.
The design of some tarock cards in this deck can be described as an alternative variant of the Austrian tarock, Type B, according to the standard of The International Playing-Card Society. However, some cards depict atypical, often modern, period scenes.
These tarock cards are also marked with Arabic numerals in the upper right corner.
Notably, the design of the tarock card with the value II features a double-headed eagle, referencing the heraldic emblem of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This can be interpreted as a political statement, a rarity in contemporary production.
Similar corner indices, with only a color indication, are also present on all court cards.
Based on the combination of the tax stamp and the company address on the heart card with a value of one, the deck of cards can be dated between 1882 and 1890.
It remains uncertain whether the “PATENT” text on this card refers to the use of corner indices, the inherent graphics of the tarock cards, or if it is simply standard period text.
References
By Marek Brejcha
Czech Republic • Member since June 13, 2024 • Contact
My relationship with cards grew from playing to collecting and transformed into publishing as well. I am part of the team at Counter Clockwise, a small company that publishes traditional card games.
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