The World in Play, Luxury Cards, 1430-1540
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Playing cards have been enjoyed by people of all classes since they were introduced to Europe in the fourteenth century. The earliest known examples do not resemble their modern descendants. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is mounting an exhibition of cards that were commissioned by wealthy individuals and members of the nobility in Europe between the years 1430 and 1540. Pictured: Queen of Stags from The Stuttgart Playing Cards, German, Upper Rhineland, ca. 1430
