Playing Cards — Dance music cards
(London: Circa 1775)
Estimate
7,000 - 10,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
Playing Cards — Dance music cards
52 playing cards. Engravings on paper, with the red suits and face cards handcolored, plain versos; lacking the six of diamonds, but with another music card ("The Russian Dance") supplied in its place, infrequent light soiling or staining, the nine of diamonds slightly abraded at upper right corner causing some loss to the pips red handcolor. 13 of the cards are mounted in a frame, the rest are housed in a folder attached to the back of the frame.
2½ by 3⅝ in. (cards); 26 by 20 in. (frame)
6.25 by 9.25 cm; 66 by 51 cm
Jaime Ortiz-Patiño (Sotheby's, London, 10 December 2013, English literature, history, children's books and illustrations,
lot 240);
Acquired at the above sale by the present collector
Jaime Ortiz-Patiño Collection of Early Playing Cards, #21;
The Fournier Museum Catalogue, Volume I: British Isles, #60
A deck of playing cards featuring musical scores for popular dances. During the late-eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the cotillion was particularly popular at English and French balls. It was was danced by a group of eight people, or four couples, who danced in an elaborate square pattern. It is the predecessor to the Quadrille, popular in the 19th century, and the modern square dance. This deck also features music for other dances, such as "The New Cossack," and "Miss Vernon's Allemand."
This set appears to be a close copy of a 1770 deck of dance cards produced by Longman and Lukey, called the 'Complete Pack of New Cotillions.' However, here the miniature playing card is oriented vertically, while the musical staves run horizontally.
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