Birma Karte or Englische Karten
Based upon older ‘standard’ patterns, the Kings and Queens are three-quarter length figures whilst the Jacks are full-length with legs giving the impression that they are walking about!
B. Dondorf: Birma Karte No.194 - for export to British colonies (1867-1920)
Single-ended (full-length) courts were common in the early 19th century, but were gradually replaced by double-ended courts. Both forms coexisted during this period. Single-ended English cards by Dondorf were primarily intended for export to England and its colonies, especially to Burma. For this reason they do not appear in regular price lists. All the costumes are elaborately decorated.
Whilst several manufacturers were experimenting with decorated versions of the standard International pattern*, this is definitely the most remarkable example designed by Dondorf. Examples are known with wrappers printed for Hegt & Co. Trading Company, Rangoon (Burma).
*
In an article published in ‘The Playing Card’ (Volume 45.2, 2016: pp.82-84) Ken Lodge notes:
I was somewhat surprised, however, to see that Hoffmann & Dietrich (1981: 150-53) describe the pack known as Birma-Karte (B) and a similar double-ended pack made for Portugal (D) as being derived from the standard English pattern (or “internationales Bild”). I have known these packs for some time and never considered them to be serious candidates for the label “English pattern”. They are both drawn in the same style, very ornate and stylized, but in a very different way from the standard English stylization, making the figures look much more realistic. The kings and queens of the single-figure court set are drawn three-quarter-length within the frame, whereas the jacks, having legs, are foreshortened, squat and look deformed. True, there are nods in the direction of the English pattern, for example, the strange object held by the English JS is held by the JD in (B) and the JC in (D), the patterns on the hats of some of the jacks resemble those of the English pattern, and the KS of (D) has a sword behind his head (note, not the KH). But if we take a proper look at the details, we’ll see that, in fact, the figures are mostly those of the French regional patterns that I dealt with in Lodge (2015 & 2016). I am not claiming that the model for these cards is one particular French regional pattern, but that it is made up of versions of the figures found in various French packs from the late mediaeval period to the late 17th century. To take just one example to start with, the single-figure JS is the Paris 1 JC (J7 in my system of classification), also found in an earlier JH by Valéry F(aucil?).
By Barney Townshend
Member since October 06, 2015
Retired Airline Pilot, interested in: Transformation Playing Cards, Karl Gerich and Elaine Lewis. Secretary of the EPCS. Treasurer of the IPCS.
Related Articles
Woodblock and Stencil King of Diamonds
A limited edition art print of the King of Diamonds 1984 woodblock joker.
Woodblock and Stencil Jack of Hearts
A limited edition art print of the Jack of Hearts 1984 woodblock joker.
Woodblock and Stencil Queen of Clubs
A limited edition art print of the Queen of Clubs 1984 woodblock joker.
Woodblock and Stencil Joker
A limited edition art print of the 1984 woodblock joker.
Hilti I
Promotional pack for Hilti power tools, with courts in medieval costume and non-standard pips.
Transair
Humorous designs promoting Transair, a German charter flight operator.
Merz Pharma Skat
Comic designs promoting Merz Pharma, a German drug company.
escART, ec-ART, SKAT
Fully illustrated pack printed from etchings by Johannes Vennekamp.
Hansaplast®
Advertising pack for Hansaplast, with comic courts sporting sticking plasters.
Wedding of Krechinsky • Свадьба Кречинского
A pack of cards depicting characters from the famous play "The Wedding of Krechinsky" by Sukhovo-Kob...
Freimaurer Spielkarten / Masonic playing cards
Masonic playing cards created by Ivan Wojnikow, 2004.
Orientierungslauf Skat
Humorous designs by Helmut Härtelt on the subject of orienteering.
Borna Skat
Publicity pack for the Saxon town of Borna, with designs by Andreas Wachter.
Postgeschichte
A celebration of different postal systems in Germany from 1630 to 1850, with designs by Volker Hartm...
Kings and Queens of Brazil & Portugal
Historical playing cards by C. L. Wüst depicting monarchs of Brazil and Portugal.
Mythological tarot by Michael Schatzberger
Mythological tarot by Michael Schatzberger, Passau, Bavaria, early 19th century.
Ansbach pattern by Emil Doll
Later Ansbach or Nürnberg pattern by Emil Doll, Neustadt.
Cartomancy deck by Johann Ernst Backofen
German-suited Cartomancy deck published by Johann Ernst Backofen, Nürnberg.
Trappola pack by Joseph Fetscher
Trappola pack published by Joseph Fetscher, Graz, 1739.
Animal Tarot by Joseph Fetscher
French-suited Natural History Tarot deck by Joseph Fetscher, Munich, c.1820.
Heathen Wars
German-suited ‘Heathen War’ playing cards published by Joseph Fetscher, Munich, c.1820.
Mythological and Allegorical tarot
Mythological and Allegorical tarot produced by Peter Paul Fetscher junior, Munich.
Fantasy deck by Joseph Fetscher
Fantasy French-suited pack produced by Joseph Fetscher, Munich, c.1825.
Miniature playing cards by Joseph Fetscher
Uncut sheet of miniature Bavarian playing cards by Joseph Fetscher.
Vogelspiel
Vogelspiel, a German card game known as the “cuckoo game” also known as “Gnau”.
Bavaria pattern
Classic German-suited Bavarian pattern by Joseph Fetscher, Munich, early 19th century.
Animal Tarot by Andreas Benedict Göbl
French-suited Animal Tarot deck produced by Andreas Benedict Göbl, Munich.
Standard French-suited Bavarian deck by Göbl
French-suited Bavarian deck by Andreas Benedict Göbl, late 18th c.
Historical playing cards by Joseph Fetscher
Historical playing cards by Joseph Fetscher, Munich, c.1820.
Illustrated piquet cards
Bavarian piquet cards with oriental illustrations produced by Andreas Benedict Göbl, Munich, late 18...
Costumes of Turkey Tarot
‘National Costumes of Turkey’ tarot by Industrie Comptoir, Leipzig, c.1800-1825.
Natural History Tarot
Natural History Tarot published by G M, Germany, early 19th C.
Æsop’s Fables tarot
French-suited Æsop’s fables tarot produced by Leipzig Industrie Comptoir, c.1800-1825.
Das Nassauische Kartenspiel
Pack conceived by Berthold Conradi, commemorating the 700th anniversary of the granting of town righ...
Jägerkarte Nr.465
Dondorf Jägerkarte Nr. 465 playing cards dedicated to the theme of hunting, c.1930.
Englische Karten nr.190
Dondorf Nr.190“Englische Karten”, 1867-1895.
Pomeranian Tarot
A Pomeranian Tarot deck with etchings by Georg Pommer published by Conrad Jegel, 1852.
Möbel-Spiel
Publicity pack for the East German furniture industry, with designs by Werner-Hans Schlegel.
Hand-painted and Silk-inlaid playing cards
Complete pack of 36 hand-painted and silk-inlaid playing cards with French suits made in Germany.
Postillion Schafkopf
Postillion Schafkopf dedicated to the history of the German postal service.
Moorish Deck
Review of “Trzes’ Moorish Deck” facsimile published by Ulrich Kaltenborn, Berlin, 2023.
Schweden Spielkarten
54 different souvenir views of famous people and places in Sweden.
Burgdorf Abschreckhärtetechnik
Promotional pack for a German steel hardening business, with designs by Costante Costantini.
Early German playing cards
Some early examples of popular German playing cards from the XV and XVI centuries.