Christian IV Anniversary
King Christian IV anniversary pack, designed by Thora Fisker and printed by L. Jevison Junior, 1988.
Christian IV Anniversary
The anniversary of Christian IV in 1988 was a great event in Denmark with exhibitions in museums for which this special pack of playing cards was published. Christian IV himself is the K♠ and his wife Anne Katherine of Brandenburg is the Q♠. The other suits feature contemporary royalty from other countries whilst the Jokers are Corfitz Ulfeld and Leonora Christine, two figures from Danish history. The portraits were adapted mainly from paintings in Danish museums, except ♥ King James VI of Scotland (1566-1625) and ♥ Queen Anna of Denmark which were from paintings in the British embassy of Denmark. The designer was Thora Fisker.
Above: King Christian IV anniversary pack, designed by Thora Fisker and printed by L. Jevison Junior and sold in a double plastic box with matching red or yellow back colour. The back pattern is a latticework from 1617 which can be seen in the church in the castle of Frederiksborg.
REFERENCES
Jensen, K. Frank: Royalty on Danish Playing Cards, The Playing-Card vol.32 no.1, IPCS, July-Aug 2003.
By Simon Wintle
Spain • Member since February 01, 1996 • Contact
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.
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