Denmark
The earliest mention of playing-cards in Denmark dates from 1487 when King Hans, who reigned from 1481-1513 and was notorious for his gambling, again and again drew money from the treasury to pay for his losses.
Animal Tarok by Jean Friedrich Mayer (1752-1783)
Animal Tarok by Jean Friedrich Mayer (1752-1783).

Bjørn Wiinblad
Bjørn Wiinblad (1918-2006) was a Danish painter, designer and ceramics artist.

C.L.Keiblinger, Copenhagen 1852-85
C.L.Keiblinger, Copenhagen 1852-85

Christian IV Anniversary
King Christian IV anniversary pack, designed by Thora Fisker and printed by L. Jevison Junior, 1988.

Danish playing cards - Tarock trumps
Two versions of trump no.15 depicting the Thorvaldsen Museum.

Danish Tarok Cards - Holmblad, c.1850
The traditional animal images on tarok decks are here substituted by images of buildings from Copenhagen and the surrounding area. The deck had several editions, with each new edition updating the latest changes to the buildings that had taken place since the previous edition.

Danish Tarok Cards - Salomon & Co., c.1906
Danish Tarok cards published by S. Salomon & Co., Kjøbenhavn, c.1906.

Dronning Margrethe II
Elegant, elongated cards designed by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.

Gnav
cards from an early 'Gnav' game made by C.L.Keiblinger, Copenhagen c.1860

History of Danish Playing Cards
The earliest mention of playing-cards in Denmark dates from 1487 when King Hans, who reigned from 1481-1513 and was notorious for his gambling, again and again drew money from the treasury to pay for his losses.

Holmblad Animal Tarot
Instead of the old emblematic designs, the trump cards show illustrations of animals, which could possibly have symbolic meanings or moralizing interpretations.

Holmblads No. 121
Holmblads No. 121 made by John Waddington, England, for Denmark

Jacob Holmblad c.1820
Standard woodblock and stencil deck produced by Jacob Holmblad with double-ended court cards in the tradition of the French ‘Paris’ pattern. The A♥ features a red over-stamp referring to Jacob Holmblad's royal license to print playing-cards which had been granted in 1820.

Jacob Holmblad c.1830
An amazing difference can be seen between the early and the later Jacob Holmblad packs, covering a time span of only 17 years.

Jacob Holmblad, 1820s
The Q♥ has a butterfly net in which she has caught four hearts. Many of Holmblad's designs were replaced or changed in different editions, but this design was not used again.

King Christian of Denmark
In 1935 a souvenir pack of playing cards to celebrate the King's 65th birthday was commissioned from the British firm of De La Rue.

L. P. Holmblad - Denmark
Cards from c.1850 by L. P. Holmblad showing fantasy historical Danish Kings and Queens.

L. P. Holmblad c.1840
L. P. Holmblad's house pattern used from c.1840. The K♠ carries a harp as in the traditional French-type cards; but the J♠ is sleeping with his arms folded and his shield resting behind him.

L. P. Holmblad, c.1845
Holmblad ordered his earlier designs to be re-drawn and updated. Comparison of packs from this era show instances where one figure is replaced by another more imposing version.

L'Hombre No.60
Dondorf's “L'Hombre No.60” was manufactured for the Danish firm Adolph Wulff of Copenhagen between c.1910-1930.

Luxuskarte No.75
Stylistically, the deck fits easily into the Dondorf “luxury card” group. The deck has been produced for the Danish firm Adolph Wulff of Copenhagen, also for F. Tilgmann in Helsinki, and a Swedish version by Öberg & Son, Stockholm.

Nederlands Stedenkwartet
Nederlands Stedenkwartet with heraldic needlepoint patterns by Permin, c.1970.

P. Steinmann
Single-figure provincial Paris pattern cards with traditional names on the courts manufactured in Copenhagen by P. Steinmann, c.1820.

Standard Handa Pattern
Standard Danish playing cards made by Handa, Copenhagen.

The Game of Four Queens
In 1988 the Danish School of Design set the examination project to design a pack of playing cards. Thomas Damkier designed this royalty deck, called “Dronningespillet” (Game of Queens).

Warburg Luxus Bridgekort
“Luxus Bridgekort” was specially designed by Barbara MacDonald in a vibrant Art Deco style for Warburg of Denmark in c.1930, and printed by Universal Playing Card Co. Ltd (England).

Warburg’s Danske
Warburg’s Danske playing cards published by Aktieselskabet Emil Jensen, København, 1944.

Warburg’s Skandinaviske Bridge Kort
“Warburg’s Skandinaviske Bridge Kort” published by Aktieselskabet Emil Jensen, København, c.1935.

Whist No.80
Stylistically, the deck fits easily into the Dondorf “luxury card” group. The deck was produced for the Danish firm Adolph Wulff of Copenhagen in c.1928-35.
