{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O211485"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O211485/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AT5192/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AT5192/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AT5192","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JW5432","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O211485/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O211485","accessionNumber":"E.1256-1916","objectType":"Playing card","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"An early use of the woodcut technique was for making playing cards. The oldest surviving examples date to about 1420. This sheet is thought to have been made by an artist called F. Durand in Rouen or Lyon in the first half of the 16th century. Woodcuts allowed multiple copies of an image to be printed relatively cheaply and quickly. This sheet shows how cards were printed for speed and economy, many to a sheet and cut into individual cards afterwards. \r\n\r\nPrinted playing cards were sometimes coloured by hand. To speed things up stencils might be used, as in this case. The neat, shaped blocks of colour sometimes do not match up with the area meant to take the colour indicating that the colour was applied through a stencil rather than painted on freehand. This colouring is of a high quality, suggesting that this pack was intended for a well-off client.\r\n\r\nThe names on these cards include legendary and historical figures, including Bethsabée and Pallas among the queens and some of the Nine Worthies among the kings. The Nine Worthies were trios of pagan, Jewish and Christian heroes introduced by Jacques de Longuyon in his romance Voeux de Paon of 1312. They were seen as exemplars of chivalry and knightly prowess and aristocratic rulers sometimes associated themselves symbolically with one or other of them. The Worthies included here among the kings are David, shown with his harp, and Charlemagne, with his globe symbolising his status as the first Holy Roman Emperor. Although playing cards and their suits were not standardized at this time and varied according to region and the whim of designers, these names were starting to become standard on French picture cards by this date.","physicalDescription":"Uncut sheet of playing cards coloured by hand. With eight cards with four queens and four kings. On the top row are the queen of clubs(?), the king of diamonds, the queen of diamonds, a king (no suit sign). On the lower row are a king (no suit sign), the queen of hearts, the king of hearts and the queen of clubs(?).","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Durand, F","id":"A25329"},"association":{"text":"printmaker","id":"AAT25164"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"printing ink","id":"AAT187371"},{"text":"laid paper","id":"AAT14184"}],"techniques":[{"text":"wood-cutting","id":"AAT53296"},{"text":"hand-colouring","id":"AAT133555"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"woodcut print coloured by hand, on laid paper","categories":[{"text":"Prints","id":"THES48903"},{"text":"Images Online","id":"THES48937"},{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Playing cards & Tarot cards","id":"THES48909"}],"styles":[{"text":"Medieval","id":"AAT20756"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2006AT5192","2017JW5432"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLF","id":"THES49656"},"free":"","case":"TOPIC","shelf":"6","box":"B"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"print","id":""}],[{"text":"playing cards","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"France","id":"x28849"},"association":{"text":"printed","id":"AAT53319"},"note":"Rouen or Lyons"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"early 16th century","earliest":"1500-01-01","latest":"1550-12-31"},"association":{"text":"printed","id":"AAT53319"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"E.1255-1916","id":"O211484"},"association":"Version"}],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"19.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"27.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"rne","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"End part of the title lettered on the queen of clubs(?)"},{"content":"Charlemaigne","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Lettered on the king of diamonds"},{"content":"Bersabee","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Lettered on the queen of diamonds"},{"content":"vive le roy","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Lettered on the card of a king with no suit (bottom lefthand card)"},{"content":"palas","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Lettered on the queen of diamonds"},{"content":"david","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Lettered on the king of diamonds"},{"content":"la grants baslive","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Lettered on the queen of clubs(?). Card in the bottom righthand corner"},{"content":"F","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"The queen of clubs(?), bottom righthand card, bears the gothic initial 'F', the signature of a maker of playing cards who apparently worked in Rouen in the early 16th century."}],"objectHistory":"From notes stuck to the back of the card on which the playing cards have been mounted:-\r\n\r\nPlaying Cards: Wood Engravings, French, Early XVI Century.\r\n\r\nTwo sheets of playing cards, each containing eight subjects: ie four Kings and four Queens, bearing the titles (I) \"...rne\" (unidentified), (2) \"Charlemaigne,\" (3) \"Bersabee,\" (4) \"Priam\" (5) \"Vive le Roy\", (6) \"Palas,\" (7) \"David,\" and (8) \"La grants Baslive\" (uncertain).\r\n\r\nThe sheets are impressions from the same block, but show slight divergencies, due to the fact that they are imperfect proofs which have been worked upon subsequently by hand. Suit marks for hearts and diamonds","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Uncut sheet of playing cards, containing eight subjects, four Kings and four Queens bearing titles of legendary and historical personages; Woodcut print, coloured by hand, on laid paper; By F. Durand; France; Early 16th century.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Hamilton, Jean. <u>Playing Cards in the Victoria & Albert Museum</u>. Victoria & Albert Museum. Her Majesty's Stationery Office. London, 1988, p.46, ill."}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"playing cards","id":"AAT211294"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["E.1256-1916"],"accessionNumberNum":"1256","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":1916,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-01-30","recordCreationDate":"2009-03-28","availableToBook":false}}