Beschreibung:

Animal Tarock, circa late 18th or early 19th century, Germany or Austria (?), S. B., 78 of 78 cards, wood block printed and stencil-colored, neatly bound in red Moroccan leather hard cover book by Townsend of Sheffield, spine reads, "TAROK CARTE." Trumps are full-length figures, double-ended Roman numerals, trumps depict animals, some are mythological and a few are accompanied by human or fanciful figures, trump III depicts a monkey or hairy beast holding a bundled child in front of a gate house with two figures perched at the pinnacle, IV is a four-legged beast with a snake head , tied to a tree branch, and a frightened rabbit darts to safety, V is a lion, VII is a rabbit with a donkey's head, VIII is the mythical unicorn, X is a unicorn with a mermaid's tail, XI depicts an ostrich with a horseshoe in its mouth, XII is a musician performing with a dancing bear holding a pole, XIV is an alligator holding a man in its mouth, only the man's leg still appears, a palm tree is in the background, XV is a bird resting atop a turtle's shell. Three trumps have contemporary writing. The trumps are suggestive of similar animal decks published in the late 18th century by Andreas Benedictus Gobl, Munich, but the jack of diamonds holds a shield bearing the initials S B. Courts are full-length figures, French suits, no indices, square corners, full gilt edges, courts are dressed in ornate costumes and adorned with jewels. The jack of clubs has the initial P M written on the card. Although the courts are strikingly similar to the Polish animal deck by DuPort, circa 1815/1820, the heraldic device pictured in the shield held by the jack of hearts, and the breast medallion worn by the jack of diamonds, differ from the DuPort deck. Backs are overall pattern of a four leaf design and four dots in blue. Card size 4 5/16 in. (11 cm.) high, 2 5/16 in. ( 5 15/16 cm.) wide, book size 4 = in. (11.3 cm.) wide. Provenance : Captain H. E. Rimington Wilson, Brotherhood Hall, purchased, Christie's, November 24, 1971, lot 337. Worn.