This is a joint project with a kartenmacher from the Outlands.
Although there is not enough of any one pack to restore it, there are scant fragments of early cards that feature…smut.
I have more design and style flexibility than I am accustomed to allowing myself, and I have to let it settle. I may even produce two decks. German packs at the time showed a lot of creative diversity, and many examples of cards printed from finely engraved metal plates survive. On the one hand the possibilities sound delightfully diverse, on the other, my anxieties tend to prefer a few more rules.
I have a few rules I’m certain that I want to stick with, largely those perimeters laid out by my correspondent, as it is his brainchild.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

John’s shop is here

http://www.printerstudio.com/sell/sell_product_shop.aspx?designer=A11EAF15F6F57B5660997A5BC1CC721D8E3BA9D878DE371F

references

http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=3292335&partId=1&searchText=playing+cards&page=23

http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=3308414&partId=1&searchText=playing+cards&page=17

http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=3202590&partId=1&searchText=playing+cards&page=5

http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details/collection_image_gallery.aspx?assetId=806945001&objectId=3202561&partId=1

http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=3202608&partId=1&searchText=playing+cards&page=8

http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=3202643&partId=1&searchText=playing+cards&page=8

http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=3309678&partId=1&searchText=playing+cards&page=11

http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=3138017&partId=1&searchText=playing+cards&page=13