Catalogue of the collection of playing cards bequeathed to the Trustees of the British museum by the late Lady Charlotte Schreiber.

PREFACE.

THE late Lady Charlotte Schreiber formed during her lifetime an
extensive collection of the Playing-Cards of various countries, and,
dying in 1895, bequeathed the collection to the Trustees of the
British Museum. In accordance with the terms of the legacy, all
those items were retained which were not strictly duplicates of
others already in the Museum, the remainder being returned to
the executors. The portion retained constitutes a very important
addition to the collection which previously belonged to the
department.*
The present separate catalogue of the addition to the national
collection thus made by Lady C. Schreiber's bequest, has been
prepared by Mr. F. M. O'Donoghue, Assistant-Keeper of Prints
and Drawings in the Museum, and is published by the Trustees
in accordance with an undertaking made on their behalf to the
executors of the testatrix when her bequest was accepted.
Among the most important items in the collection are, in the
Italian section, Mitelli's tarocchino and "Il Passa Tempo" packs;
Freschot's cards of Venetian Heraldry, 1707; and two interesting
Ombre packs, probably executed in Venice, one hand-painted on
plates of silver and enclosed in a silver case, the other engraved
on brass plates and contained in a case of the same material.
The French section includes a proof sheet of early 16th century
court cards, bearing the name of the maker, Andre Perrocet; a
series of the educational packs, devised by Jean Desmarest and
executed by Della Bella in the middle of the 17th century;
several editions of the heraldic pack issued by Oronce Fin6
(Brianville) at the same period; and several Republican and
* See W. H. Willshire, M.D. A descriptive Catalogue of Playing and other
Cards in the British Museum; printed by the order of the Trustees, 1876.