Playing cards, Trappola deck, E. Klogner, Prague, 1845-1848

Bohemian trappola cards. Prague type I (large) trappola, Prague: [E. Klogner], circa 1845-1848 * Bohemian trappola cards. Prague type I (large) trappola, Prague: [E. Klogner], circa 1845-1848, a complete deck of 36 stencil coloured woodcut playing cards (Italian suits), double-ended courts, ace of batons with 'in Prag.' and the maker's name removed (seemingly after printing but before colouring), toned, some minor marks, few cards very lightly creased (2 pip cards a little more so), cavalier of cups with minute surface loss to one shoulder, versos dark green paste marbled, each card 136 x 57 mm QTY: (1) NOTE: Altfahrt, Makers of Playing-Cards in Prague (IPCS Papers #8), page 73; Reisinger, Trappola, page 222.

This pack is identical to that illustrated and described by Reisinger - the ace of batons should read '[Em-Klogner-] in Prag.', but the maker's name has been removed. Reisinger notes that apparently a trappola deck was printed from the same Klogner woodblocks in 1848, so possibly this is an example of the 1848 pack. Reisinger identifies E. Klogner as Emanuel Klogner, a known card-maker in 19th century Prague. Altfahrt gives more detail (pages 71-73 & 109): Emanuel Klogner senior (1819-1889) was active as a playing-card maker between circa 1847 (when he received his licence) and 1889. His Prague type I trappola deck is believed to be the first deck he produced on receiving his licence to make playing-cards in Prague, and is therefore dated to that year (1847).