Playing cards--Jeu des fables

Estimate

1,000 - 1,500 GBP

bidding is closed

Description

[Germany, late seventeenth century]
Paper

51 cards (of 52), each 93 x 50mm., engraved with the hearts and diamonds hand-coloured in red, plain versos, 13 mounted in a frame, the rest in a folder attached the back of the frame, lacking the king of clubs

Literature

Ortiz-Patiño 29

Catalogue Note

A German version of Jean Desmarests' Jeu des fables (see lot 105), one of his educational series of playing cards, with a short description of each mythological episode. The engravings here are close copies of Stefano della Bella's originals, though (for example) Perseus and Andromeda have moved from the five of clubs to the three of diamonds.