Jugendstil Bridge Cards

The Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) Bridge Playing Cards were first released as a 54-card “Tarock No. 1” by Joseph Glanz & Albert Berger in 1906, including 22 trump cards. The set was designed by Ditha Moser in the Jugendstil style—the German equivalent of Art Nouveau—with its preference for straight lines and simple geometrical forms.

Piatnik re-printed the 12 court cards with a full set of number cards as “Jugendstil Art Nouveau Bridge Nr. 2136” in 1980. The Hearts court cards are dressed in Louis XVI 18th-century fashion, the Clubs court appear as crusading knights (German Chivalry), the Diamond court cards are clad in ancient Egyptian style and the Spades are inspired by the Edda sagas (Byzantium/early Christendom).

Activity, Design