Medieval Life playing cards
‘Medium Aevum’ (Medieval Life) playing cards designed by Violeta Monreal, published by Heraclio Fournier c.1988.
Published by Heraclio Fournier c. 1988 as a double pack, the 55 cards depict scenes of medieval life as portrayed by the beautiful and detailed designs of Violeta Monreal (b. 1963). Each suit represents a different aspect of the era: hearts depict the clergy, spades – the aristocracy and nobility, clubs – the common people, agriculture and crafts, and diamonds – magic and superstition. As if to highlight these distinctions the border of each suit is colour coded (spades – green; diamonds – blue; hearts – red; clubs – brown) which might be described as an unintended “no revoke” aspect. The pips in each suit are arranged in a semi-transformation style.
Each pack has 52 suited cards, plus 3 Jokers. In addition, the set as a whole is accompanied by a paper insert with a brief description of the medieval world in four languages – French, German, Spanish, and English. The cards come in a tray within a colourful sleeve. See the box►
Above: ‘Medium Aevum’ (Medieval Life) playing cards published by Heraclio Fournier c.1988.
By Peter Burnett
Member since July 27, 2022
I graduated in Russian and East European Studies from Birmingham University in 1969. It was as an undergraduate in Moscow in 1968 that I stumbled upon my first 3 packs of “unusual” playing cards which fired my curiosity and thence my life-long interest. I began researching and collecting cards in the early 1970s, since when I’ve acquired over 3,330 packs of non-standard cards, mainly from North America, UK and Western Europe, and of course from Russia and the former communist countries.
Following my retirement from the Bodleian Library in Dec. 2007 I took up a new role as Head of Library Development at the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP) to support library development in low-income countries. This work necessitated regular training visits to many sub-Saharan African countries and also further afield, to Vietnam, Nepal and Bangladesh – all of which provided rich opportunities to further expand my playing card collection.
Since 2019 I’ve been working part-time in the Bodleian Library where I’ve been cataloguing the bequest of the late Donald Welsh, founder of the English Playing Card Society.
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