Medieval: Costume, Heraldry and History on Playing Cards

Medieval themes appear on playing cards and family games through manuscript-inspired illustration, Gothic revival costume, heraldic devices and scenes drawn from chronicles and battles. Publishers and museums issue souvenir and educational packs; artists reinterpret court figures and scenic aces; makers adapt formats for quartet, patience, tarock and standard play. Subjects include courtly life and hunting, crusades and saints, kings and cities, with sources ranging from illuminated books and early engravings to later historical pastiche.