Baraja Edad Media, fantasy Spanish-suited medieval playing cards published Mas-Reynals, Barcelona, 1993. Designed by M. Malé and illustrated by V. Maza.
Medieval style playing cards commemorating the Battle of Grunwald (1410), designed and published by Studio Wena, 2011
Unique pack of playing cards created for the British Museum with illustrations by Frances Button
Daveluy produced card games between c.1840 and 1890. Many of his playing cards have historical connotations and show figures with a landscape background.
During the second half of the fifteenth century, with printing technology commercially established and playing cards already a mass-produced commodity, a succession of masterly German engravers practised their art and decorative playing cards reached a zenith.
“Europe” designed by Teodoro N. Miciano and printed by Heraclio Fournier in 1962, portraying XIV century European fashions.
Set of medieval playing cards with King, Queen, Knave and numeral cards from one to ten in each of four suits which refer to the activity of hunting, as practiced by the nobility.
“Four Centuries” playing cards by Esselte Öbergs with court cards depicted as caricatures from different historical periods
Playing cards designed by Hans Sebald Beham (1500–1550)
Medieval View of Gambling in the ‘Garden of Earthly Delights’ by Jheronimus Bosch
The first European references to playing cards date from the 1370s.
Hofamterspiel, c.1460
In the Middle Ages hunting was an integral part of life.
“Jeu de Bataille” card game published by Éditions Willeb, Paris. The court cards represent characters from different nationalities or ethnic groups who are presumably engaged in battle
Quénioux believed that aesthetic feelings are the highest values: “C’est précisément cet amour de l’artisan pour le travail qu’il accomplit, la satisfaction intime qu’il en éprouve, qui ont donné naissance à tous les arts et qui ont fait dire que l’art est la joie dans le travail”.
Anonymous “La Baraja” Spanish deck, c.2005.
Playing Cards by the Master of the Banderoles, one of the earliest professional printmakers, c.1470
Animal suited playing cards engraved by the Master of the Playing Cards, Germany, c.1455
Master PW Circular Playing Cards: roses, columbines, carnations, parrots and hares... everyday objects evoking life and fertility.
Cartes Moyen-Age by Daveluy, Bruges, c.1875
Archaic, late medieval Spanish-suited playing cards printed by Phelippe Ayet, c.1574
‘Première Croisade’ with single-ended courts by Daveluy, Bruges, c.1850.
“Romance Español” designed by Carlos Sáenz de Tejada and published by Heraclio Fournier in various editions since 1951.
The luxury, hand-painted Stuttgart Cards (Stuttgarter Kartenspiel) dated c.1430, with suits of ducks, falcons, stags and hounds.
The Princely Hunting Pack, c.1440/45, is attributed to Konrad Witz and his workshop in Basle.
