This sheet is by Giles Savouré of Lyon and is dated 1490-1500. Cards of this age are very rare. This is a proof sheet with repeated copies of the jacks on one wood block. Note that the figures are both highly artistic and lifelike unlike cards we see later. These later cards became highly stylised, largely through repeated stages of copying.
These cards are from one of several great Gangifa sets in the V&A Indian Collection. (A Gangifa set has 96 cards). The maker is unknown, the cards are from Karauli India and date from the 3rd quarter of the 19th Century.
This is a 'pictorial' or 'illustrated' set from the C17th, designed by Francis Barlow. This format (sets of cards telling a story, or illustrating a subject) was very popular at the time, and quite a few have survived as they escaped being used in play.
This is another ancient French sheet. The cards are from Lyon or Rouen. Again, note the lifelike quality of the figures protrayed.
This is a single 4 of leaves from small group of German cards that have survived together. Again, this is a very old and rare example. The maker was Clas Oth of Nuremberg. The simple design still looks fresh today.
