Thursday, December 31, 2009

Playing Card Art

Happy New Year's Eve!

Cards are war, in disguise of a sport.
~ Charles Lamb

Playing cards today. The British Museum has a collection of playing cards printed by the German Monogrammist PW circa 1500. Instead of being divided into hearts, spades, clubs, and diamonds, the set is divided into five different groups (roses, columbines, carnations, parrots, hares) and each suite has ten numbers and four figures (king, queen, valet, knave).

The King of Hares


The Nine of Parrots


The Queen of Roses


Jack of Diamonds
by Abigail Kamelhair


Playing Cards by Ukrainian artist Vladislav Erko


Cards of Life and Death

by Kornel Ravadits

(This image has the wrong web site on it -- it is not affiliated with PJLighthouse)

You can read about playing card history at the World of Playing Cards.

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