Mobilissimae. Karty do gry z XVI wieku z Biblioteki Katedralnej w Gnieźnie w kontekście polskiego i niemieckiego kartownictwa
Mobilissimae: 16th-Century Playing Cards from the Cathedral Library in Gniezno in the Context of Polish and German Card-Making

Summary/Abstract: The study investigates a rare and valuable discovery: nearly 100 fragments of 16th-century playing cards found in the book binding from the Cathedral Library in Gniezno, part of the Archdiocese Archive. Printed playing cards, though widespread in the early modern period, were not made to last. Often reused or discarded once damaged, cards were frequently repurposed in bookbinding as structural reinforcement. Thus, many of the surviving historical cards have been found in this way, usually as individual examples. The find from Gniezno significantly expands the known corpus of 16th-century cards in Poland and provides a unique opportunity to situate these objects within a broader historical and artistic context.Through detailed material and iconographic analysis, this study shows the cards’ production techniques and stylistic connections. The analysis identifies three distinct decks in the Gniezno collections. Two are showing strong links to the card-making workshops of Nuremberg, Germany, particularly those of Bernhard Merkle. Furthermore, heraldic evidence links the third deck to the Kraków workshop of Walenty Szarfenberger the Younger. The book binding that housed the cards (BS 678) is also identified as of Kraków origin, and a virtual reconstruction of the cards’ original placement within the binding is provided.The study also draws attention to other playing cards found in Polish collections and written, as well as iconographic sources that confirm the significant influence of German and Silesian models on Polish printmaking and card-making. A deck discovered by Tadeusz Ujazdowski, once thought to be Polish, is now identified as Viennese in origin. The study highlights the complex interplay of local production of card-makers and printers, guild regulations, and international trade in early modern Central Europe. Ultimately, the cards found in Gniezno serve as a crucial case study, demonstrating how such fragile objects, preserved by the practice of reusing waste paper in bookbinding, provide invaluable insights into material culture and artistic transfer.

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