Prussian Pattern
Derived from Jagdkarten or Hunting cards with patriotic overtones and rural scenes as vignettes on the numeral cards, the Prussian pattern emerged in the middle of the nineteenth century.
Prussian Pattern, later type
Derived from Jagdkarten or Hunting cards with patriotic overtones, the Prussian pattern coincided with the emergence of politically ambitious Prussia in the middle of the nineteenth century. The figures are largely drawn from the Prussian bourgeoisie with rural scenes as vignettes on the numeral cards. By around 1865 these previously single-figure packs had settled into a standard double-ended version which has had few variations since and embraces a more general theme in its illustration, the lower court cards portraying a more varied set of characters. At first the pattern showed a more or less constant set of vignettes on the numeral cards (known as "Genrebildchen") but possibly as a result of the increased facilities for travel, it later entered the souvenir market with the second type depicting views, usually of the surrounding area in which the cards were made.
An edition of the Prussian pattern by B. Dondorf c.1930 can be seen here. The pack is still made and used and has also been made in Silesia and Cracow. The example shown below is from an antique deck made in Altenburg around 1895.
By Simon Wintle
Member since February 01, 1996
Founder and editor of the World of Playing Cards since 1996. He is a former committee member of the IPCS and was graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal for many years. He has lived at various times in Chile, England and Wales and is currently living in Extremadura, Spain. Simon's first limited edition pack of playing cards was a replica of a seventeenth century traditional English pack, which he produced from woodblocks and stencils.
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