Pierre Roiné Aluette

Published July 07, 2022 Updated October 21, 2024

Archaic form of Aluette published by Pierre Roiné, Nantes, c.1785.

1785 France Pierre Roiné History Aluette Archaic Patterns Franco-Spanish

The ace of cups, which is a chalice, has the maker’s name, Pierre Roiné, who was active in Nantes c.1783-1806. His initials also appear on the four of cups. The ace of coins has a Spanish coat-of-arms and the legend “Hispania • Rex Caroui Dei • Gratia” beneath a royal crown. Instead of human figures appearing inside the suit symbols on some of the numeral cards (as in later Aluette cards), we have what resemble heraldic devices. The three of cups is a completely standard Spanish card, with no female figure or birds sitting in the cups. The court cards have a close resemblance to the archaic Franco-Spanish pattern. Also surprising are the four cavaliers, which are named as 'Dame' even though they have not yet been transformed from the Spanish male figures into females (as far as we can tell). The batons are adorned with fleurs-de-lys instead of arrows as in later versions. Various other archaic features can be observed, or the lack of features seen in more modern Aluette decks. The two of swords has a mis-spelt inscription ‘Fechas a Nantes’ (Made in Nantes) as was customary in archaic Spanish-suited cards.

Similar ‘heraldic devices’ can be seen inside the coins in a much older fragmentary sheet by J Deluy (Source gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France • Planches de cartes d'un jeu à enseignes latines, J. Deluy)   It is noteworthy that in the Spanish-suited Deluy sheets the cavaliers have been replaced by queens, which may have a bearing on the cavaliers named as Dames in these Aluette cards, in terms of a common ancestry.

Archaic from of Aluette published by Pierre Roiné, Nantes, c.1785. Source gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France Archaic from of Aluette published by Pierre Roiné, Nantes, c.1785. Source gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France Archaic from of Aluette published by Pierre Roiné, Nantes, c.1785. Source gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France Archaic from of Aluette published by Pierre Roiné, Nantes, c.1785. Source gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France

Above: Archaic form of Aluette published by Pierre Roiné, Nantes, c.1785. 48 cards, no index numbers or 'pintas', stencil-coloured woodblock. Source gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France • Jeu d'aluette, Pierre Roiné, Nantes

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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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