Exhibition of Early European Playing Cards Closing Soon at The Met Cloisters Only on View through April 17

Under Knave of Ducks, King of Falcons, and Queen of Stags from The Stuttgart Playing Cards. German, Upper Rhineland, ca. 1430. Paper (pasteboard) with gold ground and opaque paint over pen and ink. Landesmuseum Württemberg, Stuttgart © Landesmuseum Württemberg, Stuttgart, photos: H. Zwietasch

Less than two weeks remain to see some of the earliest surviving European hand-painted playing cards—including several complete or nearly complete decks. The World in Play: Luxury Cards, 1430–1540, an exhibition on view through April 17 at The Met Cloisters, is a unique opportunity to view these delicately rendered miniature works of art. Created before playing cards were standardized, the cards on view provide a fascinating glimpse into daily life in the Middle Ages. Many depict scenes and motifs connected to hunting, the pastime of nobility. Early European cards are rare: because of the connection to gambling, cards and card playing were banned. Today, because works on paper are sensitive to light, all of the cards in a deck are seldom displayed together.

The Met Cloisters is the branch of The Metropolitan Museum of Art dedicated to the art and architecture of medieval Europe.