Set of Whist Cards
1850-1900 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Whist is a card game which originated in England and was widely played in the 18th and 19th centuries. Using a standard 52 card pack, four players in two partnerships compete across 13 rounds (or 'tricks') to outscore their opponents. A trick consists of up to four cards - one per player - with the highest ranking card winning the trick. Playing a trump automatically wins the trick.
The final card dealt by the dealer indicates which suit will be trumps. During each trick, the matching marker from this set would have been left on the table as a visual reminder of which suit was trumps for that particular game.
The final card dealt by the dealer indicates which suit will be trumps. During each trick, the matching marker from this set would have been left on the table as a visual reminder of which suit was trumps for that particular game.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Enamel, gilded metal |
| Brief description | Enamel whist trump cards in a gilt metal locket; France, 1850-1900 |
| Physical description | Round gilt metal locket with chased design and the word 'Whist' engraved on the lid; containing four enamel discs, each showing the ace and king cards of each suit. The kings are labelled 'Charles', 'Caesar', 'David' and 'Alexander'. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Unique |
| Credit line | Given by the Misses Bannatyne in memory of their uncle Mr. Robert Jarvie |
| Object history | Given by the Misses Bannatyne in memory of their uncle Mr. Robert Jarvie. This object was originally acquired in 1957 by the V&A's Prints and Drawings Department, and later transferred to the Bethnal Green Museum (later the Museum of Childhood) [57/2489] |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Whist is a card game which originated in England and was widely played in the 18th and 19th centuries. Using a standard 52 card pack, four players in two partnerships compete across 13 rounds (or 'tricks') to outscore their opponents. A trick consists of up to four cards - one per player - with the highest ranking card winning the trick. Playing a trump automatically wins the trick. The final card dealt by the dealer indicates which suit will be trumps. During each trick, the matching marker from this set would have been left on the table as a visual reminder of which suit was trumps for that particular game. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.21066-1957 |
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| Record created | March 4, 2000 |
| Record URL |
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