Sheet of uncut, uncoloured woodcut playing cards, German, 16th century
Printmaker:
Unknown
Publisher:
Unknown
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. A border of blue/green watercolour is visible along the lower, right and upper edges. A handwritten inscription in brown ink at centre right: 'Brentely'. The sheet is laid down on a secondary support of mount board (height 410mm x width 275mm). 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. 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). The complete cards represented are the same as those seen in P.14636-R, a duplicate sheet of the same cards but with the blocks shifted slightly. In P.14637-R, the cards along the upper edge are more visible, although still cropped by the edge of the sheet. These cards are printed in the opposite direction and include the Jack of Bells, a hooded male figure styled as 'Ober' and what is probably the Ten of Leaves, represented as a large leaf on a flag, a large bird perched on the pole and the Ten of Acorns, a large acorn on a flag with a slightly different bird perched on the flag pole. It is possible that P.14637-R and P.14636-R were 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. The inscription of 'Brentely' links the sheet and its duplicate, 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'.
Unknown
by unknown
Height 380mm x width 245mm
Accession number: P.14637-R
Primary reference Number: 225215
Stable URI
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Paintings, Drawings and Prints
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The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Sheet of uncut, uncoloured woodcut playing cards, German, 16th century" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/225215 Accessed: 2024-05-10 10:45:11
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{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/225215
|title=Sheet of uncut, uncoloured woodcut playing cards, German, 16th century
|author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-05-10 10:45:11|publisher=The
University of Cambridge}}
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