Sheet of uncut, uncoloured woodcut playing cards, German, 16th century: P.14636-R

Titles

Sheet of uncut, uncoloured woodcut playing cards, German, 16th century

Maker(s)

Printmaker: Unknown
Publisher: Unknown

Entities

• Playing card

Categories

• Print

Description

Sheet (fragment) of uncut, uncoloured woodblock printed playing cards, with 16 complete cards of simple design printed and several partial prints cut off by the edges of the sheet. The sheet is laid down on a secondary support of mount board (height 410mm x width 275mm). A mixture of court cards, King (König), Under Knave (Unter), Over Knave (Ober), and number cards with the suits represented being, Hearts (Herzen), Bells (Schellen), Leaves (Laub) and Acorns (Eicheln). A second sheet of woodcuts for the design of the backs of the cards, a repeated diagonal pattern of diamonds containing a large rose, is laid down on the verso of the board. The complete cards represented are as follows: Top row, from left to right: King of Hearts, bearded King wearing a crown and seated on a throne holding a sceptre in his left hand with heart suit marker at upper left; Jack of Hearts, standing figure facing left wearing a pointed hat. The suit marker is located above the figure at upper left, indicating the styling as 'Ober'; Seven of Acorns, arranged on a branching stem with scrolling roots; Three of Acorns, arranged on a branching stem with leaves and grass at the base. Second row, from left to right: Jack of Acorns, standing male figure facing left and holding a large acorn in his right hand. The suit marker is located above the figure, indicating the styling as 'Ober'; King of Leaves, king seated on a throne wearing a crown, facing left and holding a sceptre in his left hand and a large leaf in his right at upper left; Nine of Acorns, arranged on a branching stem with scrolling roots; Five of Acorns, arranged on a branching stem with scrolling roots. Third row, from left to right: King of Acorns, seated King, facing right with sceptre in his right hand and holding a large Acorn in his left at upper right; Jack of Leaves, standing male figure with the suit marker below, at lower right, indicating the styling as 'Unter'; Six of Acorns, arranged on a branching stem with scrolling roots; Eight of Acorns, arranged on a branching stem with scrolling roots. Fourth row, from left to right: Jack of Hearts, holding a pike in his right hand and with the suit marker below at lower right, indicating the styling as 'Unter'; King of Bells, seated king wearing a crown and facing right, a sceptre over his left shoulder and Bell suit marker above right; Seven of Bells; Five of Bells. P.14637-R is another sheet, in better condition, of the same cards but with the blocks shifted slightly, so that the cards with banners held by birds that are cut off along the upper edge of P.14636-R are revealed and which are probably Ten of Acorns and Ten of Leaves. These sheets were possibly produced in Vienna, Austria. A sheet of the same woodblock design of diagonal diamonds containing roses seen on the verso of both P.14636-R and P.14637-R is in the collection of the British Museum along with uncut sheets of cards (of more detailed and sophisticated design than P14636-R) with a partial printed inscription containing the word, 'Wien' (Vienna). See BM: 1896,0501.1140. A handwritten inscription of 'Brentely' on the duplicate sheet, P.14637-R, links both it and P.14636-R, as well as P.14635-R, all of which are mounted on board of the same size, to seven French playing cards, c. 1500s, mounted again on board bearing the handwritten inscription: 'From the Brent Eleigh Library ... 1891'.

Legal notes

Unknown