Stuttgarter Kartenspiel

The Stuttgarter Kartenspiel (Stuttgart card game) is one of the most valuable collections of the Landesmuseum Württemberg. It is a hunting-themed deck of playing cards painted on gilded pasteboard dating to around 1430. 49 of the original 52 cards survive. The cards are divided into four suits of thirteen ranks. The suits of stag and hound are led by female face cards (queen, female ober, female unter) while the suits of duck and falcon are led by men (king, male ober, male unter). The 10 of each suit is represented with a banner like in Swiss playing cards. The backs are uniformly painted with red lead.