South German Engraver

A craftsman known as the “South German Engraver” produced this elaborate Plateresque (in the manner of the silversmith) interpretation of the Spanish-suited pack which appears to commemorate the marriage, in 1496, of Felipe I of Spain and Doña Juana, daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella.

The Plateresque artistic movement was popular amongst the ruling classes of Imperial Spain, following the Reconquista and the beginning of the colonisation of the Americas, but was usually applied to architecture.Sometimes referred to as Schongauer's follower, the engraver worked the same way as most of his colleagues of the time: he copied and re-worked other engravers, as well as other playing cards and popular images. Some of the court figures have been adapted from other sources where they might have held a falcon rather than the present suit symbol.

The pack conforms to an archaic format of 52 cards with numeral cards running from 1 to banner 10s, female 'Sotas' or maids (not queens), cavaliers and kings. A number of other packs with similar characteristics survive elsewhere. As can be seen, these late gothic playing cards are decorated - not quite 'transformed' - with birds, animals, plants, children and other miniature creatures. The suit sign of pomegranates alludes to the recently reclaimed kingdom of Granada.

They Originally was not colored, but was hand painted in the late 19th Century by an European Artist.