Jugendstil Art Nouveau Bridge
“Jugendstil Art Nouveau” Bridge Nr.2136 published by Piatnik, 1980.
![“Jugendstil Art Nouveau” Bridge box, Piatnik, 1980 “Jugendstil Art Nouveau” Bridge box, Piatnik, 1980](https://www.wopc.co.uk/images/countries/austria/piatnik/jugendstil-bridge-box.jpg)
‘Jugendstil Art Nouveau Bridge Nr.2136’
Jugendstil Art Nouveau Playing Cards were first released as a 54-card “Tarock No.1” by Joseph Glanz & Albert Berger in 1906, including 22 trump cards. The set was designed by Ditha Moser in Jugendstil style – the German equivalent of Art Nouveau with its preference for straight lines and simple geometrical forms which in this case resemble stained glass windows. Piatnik re-printed the 12 court cards with a full set of number cards as “Jugendstil Art Nouveau Bridge Nr.2136” in 1980. The Hearts court cards are dressed in Louis XVI period fashion, the Clubs courts appear as crusading knights (German Chivalry), the Diamond court cards are clad in ancient Egyptian style and Spades are inspired by the Edda sagas (Byzantium/early Christendom).
![“Jugendstil Art Nouveau” Bridge No.2136 published by Piatnik, 1980 “Jugendstil Art Nouveau” Bridge No.2136 published by Piatnik, 1980](https://www.wopc.co.uk/images/countries/austria/piatnik/jugendstil-bridge-5.jpg)
Above: “Jugendstil Art Nouveau Bridge Nr.2136” published by Piatnik, 1980. Both decks (blue and red backs) consist of 52 playing cards and 3 Jokers. The Joker is the Fool card from the original 1906 Tarock deck depicting a jester holding a puppet and a curved sword. Images courtesy Rex Pitts.
The original deck was also re-printed by Piatnik as "Jugendstil Tarock", in which all the trump cards depict toy wooden soldiers in a variety of events. The four Knaves are shown below, which of course are missing from the bridge deck.
![Knights from “Jugendstil Art Nouveau” tarock designed by Ditha Moser Knights from “Jugendstil Art Nouveau” tarock designed by Ditha Moser](https://www.wopc.co.uk/images/countries/austria/piatnik/jugendstil-tarock-knights.jpg)
Above: four Knights from “Jugendstil Art Nouveau” tarock designed by Ditha Moser. Image courtesy Adam West-Watson.
![avatar](http://www.wopc.co.uk/core/cache-wopc-thumbs/rexpitts/rex-pitts.52ec39c5.jpg)
By Rex Pitts (1940-2021)
Member since January 30, 2009
Rex's main interest was in card games, because, he said, they were cheap and easy to get hold of in his early days of collecting. He is well known for his extensive knowledge of Pepys games and his book is on the bookshelves of many.
His other interest was non-standard playing cards. He also had collections of sheet music, music CDs, models of London buses, London Transport timetables and maps and other objects that intrigued him.
Rex had a chequered career at school. He was expelled twice, on one occasion for smoking! Despite this he trained as a radio engineer and worked for the BBC in the World Service.
Later he moved into sales and worked for a firm that made all kinds of packaging, a job he enjoyed until his retirement. He became an expert on boxes and would always investigate those that held his cards. He could always recognize a box made for Pepys, which were the same as those of Alf Cooke’s Universal Playing Card Company, who printed the card games. This interest changed into an ability to make and mend boxes, which he did with great dexterity. He loved this kind of handicraft work.
His dexterity of hand and eye soon led to his making card games of his own design. He spent hours and hours carefully cutting them out and colouring them by hand.
Related Articles
![Alan Tarot Deck Alan Tarot Deck](http://www.wopc.co.uk/core/cache-wopc-thumbs/simonwintle/13626-alan-tarot-deck/images/alan-tarot-0.76ca5b18.jpg)
Alan Tarot Deck
Reprint of a Tarock pack originally designed by Argio Orell for the Austrian Lloyd shipping company....
![Keith Haring playing cards Keith Haring playing cards](http://www.wopc.co.uk/core/cache-wopc-thumbs/simonwintle/13625-keith-haring-playing-cards/images/keith-haring-0.b66e67d7.jpg)
Keith Haring playing cards
Energetic graffiti images by the American artist Keith Haring.
![Gabriel Uffenheimer Gabriel Uffenheimer](http://www.wopc.co.uk/core/cache-wopc-thumbs/simonwintle/13609-gabriel-uffenheimer/images/gabriel-uffenheimer-0.59c66850.jpg)
Gabriel Uffenheimer
Rare example of the production of Johann Gabriel Uffenheimer, Guntramsdorf, 1825.
![Carte di Natale Carte di Natale](http://www.wopc.co.uk/core/cache-wopc-thumbs/simonwintle/13590-carte-di-natale-pier-canosa/images/carte-di-natale-0.e9e8a842.jpg)
Carte di Natale
Designed by Pier Canosa as a Christmas pack for the Cortina Art Gallery in Milan.
![Queen of Arts Queen of Arts](http://www.wopc.co.uk/core/cache-wopc-thumbs/simonwintle/13582-queen-of-arts/images/queen-of-arts-0.d681d02e.jpg)
Queen of Arts
A wide variety of women artists celebrated on cards with illustrations by Laura Callaghan.
![Fredericks & Mae playing cards Fredericks & Mae playing cards](http://www.wopc.co.uk/core/cache-wopc-thumbs/simonwintle/13581-fredericks-and-mae-playing-cards/images/fredericks-mae-0.4aa12248.jpg)
Fredericks & Mae playing cards
A rainbow pack from the design team of Fredericks & Mae and Benjamin English.
![Pam is the Knave of Clubs Pam is the Knave of Clubs](http://www.wopc.co.uk/core/cache-wopc-thumbs/simonwintle/13566-pam-is-the-knave-of-clubs/images/robert-dighton-1798-0.2f53d9b0.jpg)
Pam is the Knave of Clubs
Playing cards as metaphors in 18th century art - from fate, chance and social hierarchy t...
![Play Architecture Play Architecture](http://www.wopc.co.uk/core/cache-wopc-thumbs/simonwintle/13551-play-architecture/images/play-architecture-0.ab1e9537.jpg)
Play Architecture
Twentieth century architects and their creations on a well-designed pack from Finland.
![Leadmill playing cards Leadmill playing cards](http://www.wopc.co.uk/core/cache-wopc-thumbs/simonwintle/13547-leadmill-playing-cards/images/leadmill-0.f2305b2f.jpg)
Leadmill playing cards
Promotional pack for an arts centre in Sheffield with designs by Martin F. Bedford.
![Art pack I Art pack I](http://www.wopc.co.uk/core/cache-wopc-thumbs/simonwintle/13513-art-pack-i/images/art-pack-1-0.ba0f1b57.jpg)
Art pack I
Art pack featuring Old Masters, including Bruegel, Vermeer, Titian, Raphael, Caravaggio, Canaletto, ...
![Typographic Playing Cards Typographic Playing Cards](http://www.wopc.co.uk/core/cache-wopc-thumbs/simonwintle/13510-typographic-playing-cards/images/typographic-0.bea7285f.jpg)
Typographic Playing Cards
Typographic Playing Cards designed by Jim Sutherland, c.2010.
![Damn! Fools by Moon Damn! Fools by Moon](http://www.wopc.co.uk/core/cache-wopc-thumbs/simonwintle/13511-damn-fools-by-moon/images/damn-fools-0.ab488828.jpg)
Damn! Fools by Moon
Damn! Fools playing cards designed by Leo Scherfig, 2022.
![Historical Characters Historical Characters](http://www.wopc.co.uk/core/cache-wopc-thumbs/simonwintle/13493-historical-characters/images/historical-characters-0.1e1f0060.jpg)
Historical Characters
Double-ended deck with historical characters and jacks as jesters by Daveluy, c.1850.
![Karl Korab Karl Korab](http://www.wopc.co.uk/core/cache-wopc-thumbs/simonwintle/13483-karl-korab-1973/images/karl-korab-0.a94ce5d1.jpg)
Karl Korab
Austrian artist Karl Korab’s first pack, displaying his use of different techniques.
![Crown Hill playing cards Crown Hill playing cards](http://www.wopc.co.uk/core/cache-wopc-thumbs/simonwintle/13373-crown-hill-playing-cards/images/crown-hill-0.10b661d4.jpg)
Crown Hill playing cards
Crown Hill playing cards with illustrations by Corrine Guiney, USA,
![Johann Nejedly Tarok Cards Johann Nejedly Tarok Cards](http://www.wopc.co.uk/core/cache-wopc-thumbs/adamwintle/13352-johann-nejedly-tarot-cards/images/cover-02.6e6a6989.jpg)
Johann Nejedly Tarok Cards
Johann Nejedly, a 19th-century Viennese card maker, produced Tarock cards featuring modern scenes th...
Most Popular
Our top articles from the past 28 days