Shields (suit)
Appearance
Shields | |
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Native name | German: Schilten |
Deck | Swiss-suited playing cards |
Invented | 15th century |
Shields (German: Schilten), also called Escutcheons, is one of the four playing card suits in a deck of Swiss-suited playing cards. This suit was invented in 15th century German speaking lands and is a survivor from a large pool of experimental suit signs created to replace the Latin suits. One example from the mid-15th century is a five-suited deck with the Latin suits plus a suit of shields.[1]
Characteristics[edit]
As its name suggests, the shield symbol is a stylized depiction of a warrior's shield in yellow. The coat of arms varies from deck to deck.
In the German language, the shield is called Schilten.
Cards[edit]
The following images depict the suit of Shields from an 1850 Swiss-suited pack:
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2
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6
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7
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8
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9
References[edit]
- ^ Dummett, Michael (1980). The Game of Tarot. London: Duckworth. pp. 10–32.