Oude Kunst (Old Art) playing cards with Wüst courts
made for export to the Netherlands.
This pack with the name "Oude Kunst" or Old Art, was produced by the Vereinigte Stralsunder Spielkartenfabrik in Altenburg, Germany, just three years after the after the takeover of the Wust factory in Frankfurt. Due to the popularity and reputation of cards by Wüst, they kept the Wüst house pattern type 3 courts in production until about the Second World War, usually sold under the brand name Büffelkarte (Buffalo cards) which was also used by Wüst. The lack of the Wüst star and the name 'Wust's Spielkarte' on the jack of clubs makes the pack easily identifiable as made in Altenburg. The 7 of hearts shows the Bechstein star, the mark of a factory acquired in the late 19th century.
The name of the pack refers to the fact that each of the aces depict two famous works of art by Dutch or Flemish masters, all of which are to be found in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Unfortunately only in black and white, but each work is identified with the name of the artist and the name of the painting in Dutch. One of the most famous of these is de Nachtwacht (The Nightwatch) by Rembrandt, shown on the Ace of diamonds. The reverse of the cards shows a view of the Rijksmuseum at each end, based on a photograph from 1895.
The pack was primarily produced for export to the the Netherlands, each pack containing 52 cards plus two different jokers, one of which was used by Wüst (the first shown below). My pack came in an attractive leather covered double box with whist booklets and pencils. The cards I have seen all have gold corners. However, the same packs also sold in Germany as Feinste Romme Karte Nr.84 with no indication on the box to the Art aces or the Rijksmuseum. The pack is my collection has 52 cards with a single joker and a tax stamp used between 1929 and 1931.
Below: an advertising card for the pack and a copy of the Nightwatch by Rembrandt.
Below: the double box set
Below: the box and ace of hearts from the pack sold in Germany
All cards shown are from the collection of Paul Symons ©
By Paul Symons
Member since February 01, 2016
I'm British but I have now lived in the Netherlands for more than 50 years and am still enjoying every minute of it. I started collecting playing cards in the early 1980’s after speaking with my neighbour who was at that time a croupier in a casino. I started with just collecting jokers, but that soon led me to complete packs of cards and eventually to specialising in old and antique playing cards, particularly those of C.L. Wüst of Frankfurt, Germany. I am presently the Dutch representative of the I.P.C.S. and the auctioneer at the IPCS conventions.
Related Articles
Woodblock and Stencil Joker
A limited edition art print of the 1984 woodblock joker.
Woodblock and Stencil Jack of Clubs
A limited edition art print of the Jack of Clubs 1984 woodblock joker.
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.
Uncut Sheet by Johann Jobst Forster
A proof sheet containing twelve court cards of conventional French type.
Mit Rhino auftrumpfen
Black rhinos on a publicity pack for Armstrong, a flooring company, with comic designs by Pit Flick....
Walt Disney Cards II
Mickey, Minnie, Pluto and other familiar Disney characters.
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.
Paco Lobo
Highly original and striking designs by Paco Lobo for the fashion house of the same name.
Wedding of Krechinsky • Свадьба Кречинского
A pack of cards depicting characters from the famous play "The Wedding of Krechinsky" by Sukhovo-Kob...
Jeu Boléro
Sweeping, semi-abstract designs by J.L. Jolin in red and black only.
Freimaurer Spielkarten / Masonic playing cards
Masonic playing cards created by Ivan Wojnikow, 2004.
Knoll International
Geometric designs by the French artist Jean Garçon for Knoll International, the furniture company.
Marcello Morandini
Modern designs by Italian artist Marcello Morandini using the simplest of forms and colours.
Claude Weisbuch
Free reinterpretation of the traditional Paris pattern courts by the artist Claude Weisbuch.
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.
El Niño de las Pinturas
Forty-nine distinctive works by Spanish graffiti artist Raúl Ruiz.
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.
Artist’s Aces of Spades
Artist’s Aces of Spades deck published by Robert Billingsley, USA, 1986.
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.
Christmas 1980 playing cards
Festive courts on a Waddingtons pack designed to celebrate Christmas 1980.
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.