Playing cards, 16th century, French

Reproduction of a 1567 deck by Pierre Marechal of Rouen, France. The cards of Rouen are significant because many were produced for export to Britain. It is thought that English merchants even bought them for re-export to other countries. In 1628 England banned the importation of cards, and English printers used Rouen face cards as inspiration for their own cruder, more stylized decks. Standard motifs used in many modern decks are based on the 17th C. English copies.

This a full 52-card deck without jokers (jokers were not added until the 19th century). The backs are blank as was most common on early cards.