Origins 'Art and the History' Art Booklet by Rick Davidson

OPPOSITE - Detail, Valery Faucil, late 15th Century - Rouen, France. Courtesy of the British Museum ÂŠ The Trustees of the British Museum

ORIGINS - THE ART AND THE HISTORY

A Foreword by Ken Lodge Author of ‘The Standard English Pattern’

Standard English Playing Cards Since their late 15th century northern French origins the figures of the standard English courts have come a long way, but not so far as to make them unrecognizable. If we look closely and carefully at the design of present-day cards, we can trace a lot of their features from all that time ago. The king of spades still displays both edges of his cloak and holds a sword in his left hand; the queen of spades still holds a sceptre; the king of diamonds, the jacks of spades and hearts are all in profile. To be sure, a great deal has happened in the history of playingcard production to have required many changes too: modern printing methods as opposed to wood-block and stencil; making the courts double-ended rather than having legs and feet; turning some of the figures through 180 degrees to put all the corner suit-signs on the left for ease of identification when playing whist and bridge; corner indices to identify the cards in a closely held hand. This present set of designs is an attempt to go back to the original figures and use them as an inspiration for redesigned courts without the intervening, sometimes haphazard development.

OPPOSITE - Detail, Nicolas Bénierès, mid 1600s - Rouen, France.

The artist has reached out across the centuries to bring you his interpretation of the essence of the late medieval figures. These were the figures that were to be found in tapestries depicting courtly life and a little later in wood-block illustrations for printing on paper. The postures, clothing and other apparel are those typical of the people being depicted, royalty and their courtiers. As they became more and more established as a set of recurring images during the 16th century in France, they were no longer brought up to date in terms of their general appearance and so became very particular to playing cards. Since there was a great deal of interaction between England and Europe during the Tudor period, whether in peace or in war, it is not surprising that English people came across French playing cards. By the end of the 16th century it would appear that they were established in England as the norm and shortly afterwards cards were made in this country, always in London until the late 19th century. The court card figures of playing cards are fascinating. Enjoy them.

Courtesy of the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. © The Fitzwilliam Museum

Notes from the Artist During a losing game of poker in early 2013, I ran my thumb over the tired face of a queen. And I wondered how these clunky geometric shapes and strangely unattractive faces became so ingrained in our cultures. So began a journey that began with a simple Google query and led me to contact historians and archives around the world in search of beautiful historic art. A great deal of this project has been more research than creation. And a journey it has been. Not only have I discovered for myself the amazing evolution of playing cards over hundreds of years, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been introduced to a thriving community of historians, collectors, cardists and magicians. In the early 16th century, playing cards were becoming hugely popular in Europe. Different regions had their own variations. In the provinces of France, the art and industry of playing card manufacture was thriving. A pattern from the region of Rouen was eventually imported to England and copied, sometimes very roughly, evolving to become the standard English pattern.

Over the hundreds of years since, the art has slowly settled into the cards we are familiar with today. During this evolution the art has given away the natural elegant lines and detail of the Rouen art for refined linear patterns. The Origins decks are not replicas of historic art, or intended to be historically precise. But they are inspired by carefully selected historic pieces. A modern deck for todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s play, drawing on the natural lines of beautiful and important originals. The Origins were a personal project. The deck title itself was one of the first names that came to me before the card community discovered my embarrassingly early concepts and invited me to share. Without that interest the decks may not have made it to production. To have been granted the funds to produce two decks is a dream come true. For those that offered their support, a heartfelt thank you.

Rick Davidson

OPPOSITE - Detail, Valery Faucil, late 15th Century - Rouen, France. Courtesy of the British Museum ÂŠ The Trustees of the British Museum

Jack of Diamonds 8

Queen of Diamonds

ORIGINS - THE ART AND THE HISTORY

Pierre Leroux (1647-64) - Rouen, France © Department of Prints and Photographs, The Bibliothèque nationale de France

Pierre Marechal c.1567 - Rouen, France

Courtesy of the Archives Department of Seine-Maritime, Rouen, France

King of Diamonds 10

Pierre Marechal c.1567 - Rouen, France Courtesy of the Archives Department of Seine-Maritime, Rouen, France

ORIGINS - THE ART AND THE HISTORY

The Origins of Playing Cards Where did the first playing cards come from? With the natural fragility of paper, there are few surviving clues to provide a concrete answer. But there are several theories as to how cards made their way to Europe. It’s known the Chinese, who invented paper itself, had paper ‘money’ games in the 9th and 10th century. It’s thought these early ‘cards’ also doubled as real currency that were played for. A later Persian game, As Nas, perhaps inspired by these Chinese games, may have entered Europe through India and Egypt. However there is little similarity between these cards and the standard we know today. Another theory suggests that the Crusades brought playing cards from the Middle East in the 1300s, but no cards are mentioned in Europe until after the Crusades ended. There is a strong link however to 12th century cards from Egypt. The Islamic Mamelukes then ruled parts of Egypt and the Mediterranean, and trading with Italy provides a link into Europe. The Mameluke deck is remarkably similar to today’s, having four suits, 13 cards, 10 numbered and three named court cards – King, Viceroy and Under Viceroy. The ‘suits’ being coins, cups, swords and sticks. Thus the Mamelukes of Egypt are a solid lead as to the origin of the European decks. Historic documents in Europe first mention playing cards in Spain in 1371, Switzerland in 1377, and then widely across Europe in 1380. It is noted King Charles VI of France purchased 3 packs in 1392. Once playing cards did land in Europe, they were quickly adopted and adapted. Manufacturers sprang up across the regions, each with their own artistic style. In 1420, Italian manufacturers created a common new game called Tarocco. They added the ‘Fool’ as wild card and extra cards with mystical symbols that served as trumps (or triumphs). The popular game spread, being named Tarot by the French and Tarock by the Germans. The Tarot deck only began to be widely used by fortune tellers in the 1700s. It was in the 15th century, with the now huge popularity of playing cards, that the French introduced the more familiar representations of court royalty.

Pierre Leroux (1647-64) - Rouen, France © Department of Prints and Photographs, The Bibliothèque nationale de France

Jack of Clubs 12

Queen of Clubs

ORIGINS - THE ART AND THE HISTORY

Pierre Marechal c.1567 - Rouen, France Courtesy of the Archives Department of Seine-Maritime, Rouen, France

Valery Faucil, late 15th Century - Rouen, France Courtesy of the British Museum ÂŠ The Trustees of the British Museum

King of Clubs

Valery Faucil, late 15th Century - Rouen, France Courtesy of the British Museum ÂŠ The Trustees of the British Museum

ORIGINS - THE ART AND THE HISTORY

Playing Cards Conquer Europe Once playing cards arrived in Europe, their portability made them easy to carry to new regions and their popularity exploded. Early decks had no Queens, but a King and two Marshalls. Even today there are versions of the 3 male court cards. The French designs however found the Queen worthy of inclusion. Cards were initially hand made and painted which made them expensive and available only to the upper classes. Popular artists were often commissioned to produce these works of art, and existing examples are large, ornate and colourful with silver and gold embellishments. The introduction of the woodcut enabled the printing of full sheets of playing cards which were then inked with colour and glued to card. Other printing methods improved including stencils and plate engraving, and the availability of playing cards grew. With the groundbreaking invention of Gutenberg’s printing press they became fully accessible to all levels of society. The red and black colours and simplified suit shapes we know today made cards easier to recognise and again find their roots in the early French designs. These developments made the mass printing of decks a simpler process and there was a boom in card manufacture. French cards were exported across Europe and were a lucrative business. In the earliest European decks the King was the high card but by the late 14th century the Ace, traditionally the lowest card, had generally taken it’s place. This was helped further by the French revolution in the late 1700s when the monarchy was overthrown by the common people. While the French used the suits we know today, the Spanish and Italian suits shared cups, coins, batons and swords, and the Germans preferring bells, leaves, hearts, and acorns. Early decks also experimented with the number of cards, some having 48, others 56. But by the 15th century, the standard of 52 had mostly been established and by the end of the 15th century the standards we know today were in place. Little has changed since.

Pierre Leroux (1647-64) -Rouen, France © Department of Prints and Photographs, The Bibliothèque nationale de France

Jack of Hearts 16

Queen of Hearts

ORIGINS - THE ART AND THE HISTORY In the 17th century, the Jack was given a name change. The card was initially called the Knave, but it’s abbreviation Kn clashed with the K for King. The term Jack however was common, pulled from the early English game All Fours which was played by the lower classes. As such the name was considered crude but with the introduction of corner indices the change was duly adopted to avoid confusion. The sudden popularity of playing cards across Europe caused concern amongst the authorities of the time. The church in particular was very opposed to card gaming and restricted, even forbade their use. Gambling was popular and cards were considered unsavoury elements which led to dishonesty and crime. In the 15th century the English parliament forbade their use, except during Christmas.

Nicolas Bénierès, mid 1600s - Rouen, France Courtesy of the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. © The Fitzwilliam Museum

In the 17th century the import of French cards into England was banned to aid the local trade. A tax was then imposed by King Charles I, which grew in value over time, making a deck a very expensive purchase. By the 18th century almost every country in Europe was manufacturing and exporting playing cards of some type. It was a popular practice by printers of the time to use old paper – and used playing cards - as packing in the spines and covers of printed material, and a number of surviving historic cards have been found in the pages of books.

Pierre Marechal c.1567 - Rouen, France Courtesy of the Archives Department of Seine-Maritime, Rouen, France

King of Hearts 18

Valery Faucil, late 15th Century - Rouen, France Courtesy of the British Museum ÂŠ The Trustees of the British Museum

ORIGINS - THE ART AND THE HISTORY

The Evolution Continues After the initial explosion of playing cards in Europe it was inevitable they would soon reach the shores of the United States. They were extremely popular in saloons and bars and, as in Europe, they were often prohibited as being out of step with religious values. They were banned at times through the late 17th century, and George Washington mentioned restrictions on the use of cards amongst his soldiers. In the 18th century they were also taxed. Of course, Americans began manufacturing their own cards, and a wide variety of printers including newspaper and wallpaper manufacturers began producing decks. Benjamin Franklin himself was amongst the early importers and manufacturers of playing cards. It was back in France around 1745 that reversible court cards first made an appearance. As such, half of the original full length artwork was lost and the change was not popular with the French government. Controlling the designs of playing cards, they banned the change. But the alteration clearly made sense in game-play and was adopted around Europe. By the second half of the 18th century, reversible cards had been patented and the modern Anglo-American design was born. Boston, Philadelphia and New York soon became the centres of American production, and in the early 19th century a number of recognisable printers began operation. These included the US Playing Card Company in 1881, then named Rusell, Morgan and Co. The Americans were quick to adopt refinements and improvements. Indices became standard, cards were varnished to enhance their lifespan and handling, and in 1872 they began to be printed with rounded edges which enhanced their durability. These improvements had periodically appeared earlier in Europe but they were accepted as standard in the States. The US also added the last familiar card to complete the modern standard deck - the Joker.

Pierre Marechal c.1567 - Rouen, France Courtesy of the Archives Department of Seine-Maritime, Rouen, France

Jack of Spades 20

Queen of Spades

ORIGINS - THE ART AND THE HISTORY

From the collection of Paul Bostock Courtesy of Paul Bostock

Pierre Marechal c.1567 - Rouen, France Courtesy of the Archives Department of Seine-Maritime, Rouen, France

King of Spades

Pierre Marechal c.1567 - Rouen, France Courtesy of the Archives Department of Seine-Maritime, Rouen, France

ORIGINS - THE ART AND THE HISTORY

Interesting Facts The King of Hearts is nicknamed the Suicide King as it looks as though he is stabbing himself through the head with a sword. This however is due to ongoing poor copies of the Rouen pattern in which the King holds an axe above his head. In the Rouen pattern, the Jack of Hearts holds the hilt of a sword, but through ongoing copies this evolved into a small leaf. Playing Cards were used for much more than games. It was normal that the backs of cards were unprinted which made them very useful for writing, so they were also used for notes, coupons and even supplemented for money. Some of the common phrases inspired by playing cards Above board (cards above the table). Following suit. It’s a wild card. Forcing their hand. Raising the ante. Calling a spade a spade. Overplayed his hand. Calling their bluff. What’s the deal. A card up your sleeve. Coming up trumps. A few cards short of a deck. Putting your cards on the table. Has it in spades. Played it close to their chest. Not my strong suit. It’s in the cards. Pass the buck.

The characters associated with the face cards vary regionally but the French cards were at times named and thought to represent the following people King of Spades – The biblical King David Queen of Spades - Pallas Athene, the Greek goddess of war and wisdom Jack of Spades - Hogier, a knight of Charlemagne King of Hearts – Charlemagne Queen of Hearts - Judith of Bavaria, daughter-in-law of Charlemagne Jack of Hearts - La Hire, a knight in the court of Charles VII King of Diamonds - Julius Caesar Queen of Diamonds - Rachel, whose sons established the tribes of Israel Jack of Diamonds – Hector or Roland King of Clubs - Alexander the Great Queen of Clubs - Argine, considered a Roman anagram for ‘Regina’ - Queen Jack of Clubs - Lancelot of King Arthur’s round table

The Aces

The Ace traditionally had the lowest value, but over time became the high card, with the French Revolution further solidifying it’s power. The common people overthrew the monarchy - and in turn, the Ace overpowered the deck royalty. The Ace of Spades became an even more important piece of the deck in 1765 when the British parliament imposed a hugely unpopular ‘stamp tax’ on playing card manufacturers. The Ace was required to carry the insignia of the printer for identification and was withdrawn

and released only when the duty had been paid. It was stamped as confirmation. Non-payment of this tax was a serious matter and there is even record of an execution for forgery of the Ace. With this focus on the Ace of Spades manufacturers began to include extra information such as logos and production details, and the Ace became more ornate and detailed as a result. Although the taxes finally ended in the 1960s, the embellishments of the Ace are now an established standard.

ORIGINS - THE ART AND THE HISTORY

The Jokers

William Sommers, Jester

The Joker is a relatively new addition to the deck. Around 1870, a version of the game of Euchre was played in America that required an extra trump card. German immigrants that brought the game to the States also brought with them the term Bauer or ‘Jack’ for the two most powerful cards. This new trump was named the Imperial Bower and evolved into the Joker, perhaps pulling it’s name from the German spelling of Euchre - Jucker. Fitting in with the standard court cards, the style of the Jester in the courts was perhaps a natural fit.

As the decks of the 16th century did not feature jokers, the Origins pair are inspired by a team of real jesters from the period. In 1535, only 30 years before Pierre Marechal designed his Rouen deck, Jane Foole was a female jester for the famous queen Anne Boleyn. Her working partner was a well known jester of the time, William Sommers. Jesters were quite influential celebrities, often able to mock the powerful without losing their heads.

ORIGINS - THE ART AND THE HISTORY

The Backs The main design for the Origins backs and Tucks draw inspiration from the patterns and art from the original 16th century cards. These elements are combined with styles from 16th century woodcuts. The historic cards have a beautiful amount of detail, some of which was lost in the move to a reversible design. The Origins art is an effort to retain the essence of these patterns.

OPPOSITE - Detail, Pierre Marechal c.1567 - Rouen, France.

Courtesy of the Archives Department of Seine-Maritime, Rouen, France

The Tuck Cases

The Origins Tucks feature embossed gold foil versions of the card backs, inspired by the elaborate embellishments of 16th century originals

The Historic Cards - actual size

Behold four Kings in majesty rever’d With hoary whiskers and a forky beard And four fair Queens whose hands sustain a flower Th’ expressive emblem of their softer power Four Knaves in garbs succinct, a trusty band Caps on their heads, and halberts in their hand And party-colour’d troops, a shining train Drawn forth to combat on the velvet plain.

Alexander Pope (1688 –1744)

Uncut sheet from the collection of Paul Bostock Courtesy of Paul Bostock

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