Fantasy deck by Joseph Fetscher
Fantasy French-suited pack produced by Joseph Fetscher, Munich, c.1825.
Fine French-suited cards with full-length figures made in Germany by Joseph Fetscher in Munich, c.1825. The shield on the Jack of hearts reads “Joseph Fetscher in München”. The king of clubs has a lion supporting the arms of Bavaria.
Joseph Fetscher came from a playing-card making family and was granted a privilege to make playing cards in 1792. His workshop was located in Burggasse no.184 in Munich, where he produced a range of French-suited animal and scenic tarots, German-suited Bavarian pattern packs, Italian-suited Trappola packs, Vogelspiel (Cucu card game), miniature packs, historical packs, all carefully printed and beautifully coloured.
Above: 52-card deck with fantasy French-suited pattern produced by Joseph Fetscher, Munich, c.1825. Stencil-coloured woodcuts; the back has a pattern of dots. The six of hearts has a tax stamp used in Bayern from 1826 to c.1837. The text on the tax stamp is the name of a Bavarian region (Isarkreis) with a value in Kreuzer (8 Ker). Source gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France • Feine Französiche Karten►
Ferdinando Gumppenberg studied with Fetscher when he arrived from Italy to Munich in 1809.
The wrapper has the coat-of-arms of Bavaria supported by two lions. See the wrapper►
Further References
Peter Endebrock's playing-card pages: Tax Stamps from German States►
A very similar 32-card piquet version is in the British Museum: number 1896,0501.257►
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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