Charles: P.14628-R(40)

Current Location: In storage

Titles

Charles
King of Hearts

Maker(s)

Entities

Playing card

Description

From a complete pack of 52 playing-cards; hand-coloured woodcut on white laid paper with watermarked fleur-de-lis. A single image, hand-coloured in black, red, yellow, dark blue and lighter blue inks. The King, a full-length figure, holds a swords in his right hand and an orb in his right. There are three fleur-de-lis on a shield on his cloak. A printed title or name at upper right: 'CHARLES'. This name for the King of Hearts (thought to be a reference to either Charles VII or Charlemagne, the founder of the Holy Roman Empire) is unique to French playing cards where the court cards are associated with historical or mythical characters. The single image pattern of the court cards was designed by engraver and sculptor, Nicolas-Marie Gatteaux (1751-1832) in 1813, whose name can be found at the centre of the shield on the Jack of Clubs. His designs were based on earlier versions of the so-called Paris pattern, which became the official French pattern in 1813. The verso is blank. The pack can be dated through reference to the Jack of Clubs, which is printed with the name for French excise administration (Administration des Contributions Indirectes) and a date of 1816. From the 19th century until 1945, the appearance of playing cards for domestic consumption was regulated by the French government and all cards were produced on watermarked paper made by the state to show payment of the stamp tax.