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Playing Cards

1616
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 556
From the finely executed pip cards to the charming face cards, this set of silver-gilt playing cards reflects aristocratic fondness for both luxury and quality. Although they were never intended to be used in a game, the careful execution of the engraving captures all the necessary elements for a full deck of Italian playing cards. The kings, knights, and knaves are finely modeled in the manner of prints and their varied costumes make them both elegant and playful. An extraordinary set like this one may not have graced the felt of the card table or witnessed a bet or two, but they would have been evidence of the elevation of leisure by the wealthy and the collecting tastes of the elite at the start of the seventeenth century.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Playing Cards
  • Maker: Michael Frömmer (German, born 1584, master 1612)
  • Date: 1616
  • Culture: German, Augsburg
  • Medium: Parcel-gilt silver
  • Dimensions: each 3 3/8 - 3 7/16 × 1 7/8 - 1 15/16 in., 24.35oz. (8.6-8.8 × 4.8-5 cm, 690.4g)
  • Classifications: Metalwork-Silver, games or toys
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Pfeiffer Fund, 2025
  • Object Number: 2025.241.1–.52
  • Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

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