Jeu Quatre Empereurs
Brazilian scenic aces with emperors of Brazil, Austria and France and other dignitaries on the court cards.
Van Genechten produced packs with scenic aces for foreign markets to which he exported his products. This double-ended pack depicting Brazilian landscapes on the aces and various royal and political figures of the time on the court cards was published by Van Genechten for Brazil and appeared in price lists from 1883.
Above: Jeu Quatre Empereurs playing cards published by Van Genechten, Turnhout, 1883. Square corners, no indices. Source gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France • Jeu Quatre Empereurs►
References
The deck is listed in the catalogue ’Turnhoutse Speelkaarten', 1983 page 129, although the spades suit in the pictured cards is different.
Thanks to Paul Symons for extra research.
By Simon Wintle
Member since February 01, 1996
I am the founder of The World of Playing Cards (est. 1996), a website dedicated to the history, artistry and cultural significance of playing cards and tarot. Over the years I have researched various areas of the subject, acquired and traded collections and contributed as a committee member of the IPCS and graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal. Having lived in Chile, England, Wales, and now Spain, these experiences have shaped my work and passion for playing cards. Amongst my achievements is producing a limited-edition replica of a 17th-century English pack using woodblocks and stencils—a labour of love. Today, the World of Playing Cards is a global collaborative project, with my son Adam serving as the technical driving force behind its development. His innovative efforts have helped shape the site into the thriving hub it is today. You are warmly invited to become a contributor and share your enthusiasm.
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