Playing Card with Nine Parrots - Meester PW van Keulen

A rare fifteenth-century engraving by Meester PW van Keulen, featuring a geometric arrangement of nine parrots within a circular frame.

This engraving by the artist known as Meester PW van Keulen represents a curiosity from the late fifteenth century. It belongs to a series of playing cards that utilise birds as the primary motif for the suit. The composition is contained within a circular frame, which is a common feature in early European card design. Nine parrots are arranged in a radial pattern, their bodies and tails crossing to create a geometric structure that fills the circular space. The number nine is indicated by a small numeral at the top, while the Roman numeral VIII appears at the bottom, suggesting a specific place within a deck or a set of prints.

The technique displays the precise, controlled line work characteristic of early Northern Renaissance engraving. The artist uses simple, clean strokes to define the feathers and beaks of the parrots, maintaining a clear distinction between the birds and the background. The lack of heavy shading allows the viewer to focus on the arrangement of the figures. This work provides insight into the intersection of functional objects and fine art during the period, where the production of playing cards often involved skilled printmakers who applied the same rigour to these items as they did to devotional or decorative prints.

As a historical artefact, this print documents the aesthetic preferences of the late medieval period, where natural history subjects were frequently adapted for games and social pastimes. The paper shows the expected signs of age, including a warm, aged tone that provides a neutral backdrop for the black ink lines. This piece is suitable for those interested in the history of printmaking, early card games, or the graphic design traditions of the Low Countries.