Possible early astrological playing cards

Published March 24, 2023 Updated April 14, 2023

Two early woodcuts that I believe to be playing cards.

AstrologyEphemeraMedievalMyths & Legends

I am Zachary Fisher, a collector of woodcuts.

As an Atolycus, I am a "snapper up of unconsidered [Ebay] trifles," so when these two small unidentified woodcuts, both 59 x 38 mm, came up for $50 as a pair and I couldn't pass them up. They've intrigued me ever since. One is almost certainly Mercury and the other is most likely Zeus, but beyond that, I'm at a loss.

The problem is that I've not gotten closer to identifying them in the two years since I've had them. My initial hunch was that they were fifteenth or sixteen century Italian cards, but that is based on little more than a gut feeling and some resemblances in style to the period. They have no watermarks or anything I can use to identify them.

I was wondering if anyone in the playing card community could get me closer to getting a rough idea of when and where they were made.

Two early woodcuts that I believe to be playing cards

Above: both cards measure 59 x 38 mm. No watermarks or anything else to help identify. Plain backs.

avatar
1 Article

By Zachary Fisher

Member since March 23, 2023

I'm Zachary Fisher, a collector of woodcuts.

Activity for Possible early astrological playing cards

Sign in to comment or save this article.


Related Articles

1978 Saga aka King Arthur

Saga aka King Arthur

Capturing the spirit of medieval legend on playing cards.

1996 Le jeu de cartes des Croisades

Le jeu de cartes des Croisades

Venture into the Crusades in the style of medieval manuscript art.

1994 Medieval Heraldry

Medieval Heraldry

53 cards of original hand painted prints taken from medieval manuscripts.

1897 Mediaeval Playing Cards

Mediaeval Playing Cards

Finely executed late 19th century pack from the USA featuring courts in medieval costume.

Piquet: the game and its artifacts

Piquet: the game and its artifacts

Piquet may be the oldest card game which is still played today with origins going back to early 16th...

1990 Phone and smart cards

Phone and smart cards

Phonecards with playing card designs.

2019 Marie and Laurent’s Wedding

Marie and Laurent’s Wedding

Wedding invitation and thank you card in the form of playing cards. France, 2019.

1911 The Jovial Cards

The Jovial Cards

Publicity items for a group of entertainers, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, UK, 1911.

1932 Leather Card Case Patent Application

Leather Card Case Patent Application

In 1932, a patent was granted to Colin Hart and George Franklin for a leather case in the form of a ...

La Baraja

La Baraja

Anonymous “La Baraja” Spanish deck, c.2005.

Iceland Mythological Playing Cards

Iceland Mythological Playing Cards

Iceland Mythological Playing Cards designed by Sigurlinna Pétursson, 1958

1899 Grand Jeu Lenormand

Grand Jeu Lenormand

Chaotic Grandeur in a collage of astrology, folklore and mythology from Parisian salons.

1828 Hodges’ Constellations

Hodges’ Constellations

Hodges’ pack dealing with astronomy had numeral cards carrying diagrams of constellations and their ...

1934 De Reszke Cigarettes “What the Stars Say”

De Reszke Cigarettes “What the Stars Say”

De Reszke Cigarettes “What the Stars Say” astrology cards issued by J. Milhoff & Co., 1934.

Suicide King

Suicide King

The King of Hearts, holding a sword behind his head, is sometimes nicknamed the “Suicide King”. He c...

Pope Joan Trays

Pope Joan Trays

Some traditional Pope Joan boards comprise a circular tray, others are square, divided into sections...

1989 Zodiac Bridge

Zodiac Bridge

Zodiac Bridge was designed by René Marcel Rivière and printed by AGM Müller in c.1989. A different s...

The History of Playing Cards

The History of Playing Cards

Playing cards appear in European records in the late 14th century, but their earlier history lies fu...

Hunting Depicted on Playing Cards

Hunting Depicted on Playing Cards

In the Middle Ages hunting was an integral part of life.

Playing Cards in other cards

Playing Cards in other cards

Secondary applications of playing cards.


Sign in with Google