Ancient Artifacts & Antiquities, May
Lot 288:
1807 Cotta Transformation Playing Cards 52/52 Old Tubingen Wallenstein Almanach
The "Wallenstein" Transformation Playing Cards, published in 1807 by J.C. Cotta in Tubingen, Germany. In the early 1800s, J.F. Cotta created a fascinating series of playing card almanacs. These decks were produced annually from 1805 to 1811, with each deck featuring unique designs and themes. The almanacs combined the functionality of playing cards with the informative nature of almanacs, making them both entertaining and educational. This deck is the third in a series of transformation playing cards known as Cotta’s Almanac decks. These cards were inspired by Friedrich Schiller’s historical drama trilogy "Wallenstein, " which revolves around the Thirty Years’ War and the life of Albrecht von Wallenstein, a key figure in the conflict.The court cards in this deck depict characters from Schiller’s play, blending historical and fictional elements. For example, Wallenstein himself is represented as the King of Hearts, while other characters like his wife, generals, and fictional figures from the drama are also featured. For their age very good condition. Foxing and age toning to the cards and booklet as is expected for their age. All 52 cards are present with its original booklet which may have instructions in it but from what we could decipher appears to be a reference to characters in Schiller’s play which are represented on the cards. The booklet is in German. Keywords to draw attention to this lot: Antique Playing Cards, Vintage Decks, Historical Card Games, Woodcut Playing Cards, Hand-Painted Cards, Mamluk Cards, Tarot Decks, Collector’s Edition, Engraved Cards, Rare Playing Cards, Tax Stamp Cards, Joker Cards, French Suits, Latin Suits, German Suits
Condition: Authentic
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