The World's Oldest Full Deck Of Playing Cards Was Almost Lost To History
The cards dated from the 15th century and were in incredible condition - but they were almost lost to history.
An Amsterdam antiques dealer was sold the pack back in the '70s for $2,800. They were said to be a "unique" pack of tarot cards from the "16th century," according to the Paris auction house that sold them.
But the dealer who bought the deck was skeptical, according to a The Day article published in 1983. He thought they might be even older.
After five years of research, he was able to successfully date the cards to between 1465 and 1480 thanks to the style of the paintings, watermarks on the pasteboard, as well as the costumes and hairdos worn by the Burgundian court figures on the cards.The shoes, hairstyles, and clothing worn by the kings and queens were going out of style by 1480. The watermarks were also common in Southern Flanders and the Netherlands from 1466 to 1479, according to The Day.
The dates were confirmed by the Central Laboratory for Objects of Art and Science in Amsterdam which dated the paints used to the 15th Century.All of this digging and research paid off. In 1983, the Met bought the pack for $143,000.
The cards themselves are also very interesting. Instead of the suits we know today, the four card categories are based on hunting gear, including hunting horns, dog collars, hound tethers, and game nooses.
The English used the simplified French shapes, but called the pike-heads "spades" and the paving tiles "diamonds."
Mass-producing and printing playing cards had still not become the norm, so these cards were drawn free-hand with pen and ink with gold and silver later applied. Because they are in such good condition, it's assumed the cards were rarely touched.You can currently view the cards at The Met's Cloisters museum in New York City.
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