Archaeology & History
400-year-old playing cards discovered
By
T.K. RandallDecember 3, 2012 ·
10 comments
Image Credit: CC 3.0 Enoch Lau
A rare and valuable complete set of 52 silver playing cards gilded in gold has been uncovered.
The set dates back to 1616 when it was created in Germany by Michael Frömmer. It is said that the set once belonged to a Portuguese princess who escaped the country in 1807 during an invasion by Napoleon's forces. The cards come from a time when no standard set of playing cards existed and are based on suits used in Italy - swords, coins, batons and cups.
The materials and craftsmanship that went in to the construction of the deck coupled with how old it is and the fact that it's complete make the cards a particularly rare discovery.
On the cards, two of the kings are depicted wearing ancient Roman clothing while one is depicted as a Holy Roman Emperor and another is dressed up as a Sultan, with clothing seen in the Middle East.
Source:
Live Science |
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