Modern Jass (Fredy Sigg)
Caricatural updating of traditional Swiss Jass cards by the artist Fredy Sigg.
Swiss cartoonist Fredy Sigg (1923-1998) designed these Jass cards in 1978. His signature appears on all but the 9s to the 6s. Although most of the elements of a traditional Swiss-suited Jass pack have been retained, it is the faces of the court cards that have been caricatured, rendering them less than serious. Other changes include the use of a turquoise blue colour and some unusual objects on the shields in the suit of ‘schilten’ (shields). The Daus of Shields is marked ‘A’ in two corners. Curiously, one acorn on the 7 of Acorns lacks shading.
Above: Modern Jass designed by Fredy Sigg and made by A.S.S., Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Germany, 1978. 36 cards in clear plastic box. Size: 57 x 89 mm.
Unusually for a Swiss-suited pack by a Swiss artist, this pack was printed by A.S.S. of Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Germany, and not by AG Müller of Neuhausen am Rheinfall, Switzerland.
I have examples of this pack available for sale.
By Roddy Somerville
France • Member since May 31, 2022
Roddy started collecting stamps on his 8th birthday. In 1977 he joined the newly formed playing-card department at Stanley Gibbons in London before setting up his own business in Edinburgh four years later. His collecting interests include playing cards, postcards, stamps (especially playing cards on stamps) and sugar wrappers. He is a Past President of the Scottish Philatelic Society, a former Chairman of the IPCS, a Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards and Curator of the WCMPC’s collection of playing cards. He lives near Toulouse in France.
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