Vogelspiel
Vogelspiel, a German card game known as the “cuckoo game” also known as “Gnau”.
Vogelspiel is a German card game known as the "cuckoo game" and this set was produced by Antoni Fescher, c.1760, whose details can be read on the ‘Auszahlt’ card. The cuckoo card is labelled ‘Pfeiff’, others are ‘Glas’ - goblet; ‘Narr’ - fool; ‘Hex’ - witch; ‘Würste’ - sausages; ‘Werda’ - a soldier; ‘Hott’ - horse; ‘Miau’ - cat; ‘Einkehrt’ - Inn and ‘Auszahlt’ - counting house. The Cucu pack (or ‘Coucou’) is a very old game with a complex history which may have originated in Bologna, Italy. It spread to countries such as Austria, Germany, all of Scandinavia, particularly Sweden. It is known as ‘Gnau’ in Denmark and Norway.
The pack has 32 cards: 10 pairs of picture cards with titles and a series numbered I - XII.
A similar set produced by Joseph Fetscher, Munich, is in the British Museum • Museum number 1896,0501.446►
One of the house cards has the legend "Joseph Fetscher", and the other "Kartenfabrikant in München".
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.
Related Articles
Verkeers Kwartet
A helpful quartet game celebrating the 75th anniversary of road safety exams making traffic safer.
Pirritx eta Porrotx
Happy Families card game from the Spanish Basque Country.
Question and Answer Games
A card game called “Impertinent Questions and Pertinent Answers” was launched in the early 1920s by ...
Politiker-Skat by Bubec
Caricatures of world leaders, including many German politicians, by the artist Bubec.
Le Poker Politique
French politicians and various world leaders caricatured by the German artist Bubec.
Gibson’s History of England
History without tears for young and old, 1920s.
Iroha Karuta for Hino City
Special version of Iroha Karuta, a traditional Japanese matching game, made for Hino City, Tokyo.
Iroha Karuta
Traditional Japanese matching game played mainly by children.
O-Shlemiel card game
O-Shlemiel card game with Yiddish words and phrases.
Unimog UX 100
Cartoons promoting the Unimog UX 100, a small truck produced by Mercedes-Benz.
Juristenskat
Caricatures of lawyers and judges by Philipp Heinisch for HEEL Verlag.
Battles in Mexico, 1847
Uncut proof sheet with Mexican Battle scenes on the aces and portraits of American generals on the c...
Double-ended German-suited pack by Josef Glanz, Vienna.
From the British Museum collection.
Medizin Skat
Promotional pack for a hospital group in the Saarland, with non-standard suits and courts designed b...
Opernkarte I
Humorous designs by Peter Becker on the theme of the Opera.
Haushaltgeräte
Publicity pack for VEB Kombinat Haushaltgeräte, makers of household goods, with designs by Volker Ha...