Moyen-Age by Daveluy

‘Cartes Moyen-Age’ by Daveluy, Bruges, c.1875

Daveluy produced these lovely double-ended fantasy “Historical Costume” playing cards based on the popular theme of the Middle Ages in several editions, with slightly different design details, starting from around 1850. Earlier versions had no corner pips on the Aces and the Kings had no crowns on their suit signs. Some of these designs, or their style, suggesting a romantic preoccupation with the past, influenced some of the Turnhout manufacturers who subsequently published similar designs with different titles or as standard patterns. As with many of Daveluy's designs, the cards show figures against a landscape background but which the later copies omitted.

Above: double-ended ‘Cartes Moyen-Age’ by Daveluy, Bruges, c.1850-1885. The courts wear historic clothes; the jack and queen of hearts carry falcons and the queen of spades wears pointed headwear. The jack of clubs is seen from the back. The Aces have decorative embellishments and small corner pips and the Kings have small crowns above the suit sign in this edition and the gold borders have rounded inner corners while the cards have square corners, 52 cards, chromolithography, 53x82 mm. Images courtesy Rex Pitts.

Above: cards from a similar set but without gold borders and rounded corners. Some of the background scenes and texts on the aces have been adjusted. Several variations are known, see further references below.

References

Bibliothèque nationale de France:

• Jeu de cartes Moyen-Age 1875-1880►
• Cartes Moyen-Age : jeu de cartes au portrait de fantaisie à deux têtes 1835-1865►
• Jeu de cartes Moyen-Age édition de luxe, 1875►
• Cartes Moyen-Age, édition de luxe 1875-1880►