Animal Tarok by Jean Friedrich Mayer (1752-1783)
Animal Tarok by Jean Friedrich Mayer (1752-1783).
Danish Tarok cards by Jean Friedrich Mayer (1752-1783)
This Animal Tarok pack with French suit marks was made by the printer Jean Friedrich Mayer of Copenhagen, who had been granted a royal privilege to print playing-cards in Denmark from 1752-1783. It is one of the earliest surviving packs known to have been made in Denmark. Mayer's animal tarok images came from the same tradition as several other animal tarock decks which were circulating in Germany and Belgium around the mid-18th century. As Mayer is assumed to be an immigrant card maker, he may have brought the woodblocks with him from abroad.
Above: cards from facsimile edition of pack preserved in the National-museum in Copenhagen. 78 cards. Reproduction by Hagen & Sørensen, Odense, 1978. Distribution by Editions Ouroboros, Roskilde.
REFERENCES
Jensen, K. Frank: French suited tarot packs in Denmark and the Jacob Holmblad Animal tarot, in "The Playing-Card" Vol.36 No.3, Apr-June 2008. [download here].
Belgian Animal Tarot deck hidden in a devotional book
Above: an 18th century Belgian Animal Tarot deck hidden in a devotional book. From the collection of the National Playing Card Museum, Turnhout, Belgium.
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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