After the development of the printing industry at the end of the 15th century, Rouen became an important centre for card-making whose influence extended far afield. Packs of playing cards reached England from Rouen, indeed, many were smuggled via the Isle of Wight.
A pack of cards made by Pierre Marechalc.1567 preserved in the museum at Rouen is undoubtedly the model from which our English pack subsequently evolved. The style of the costumes on English playing cards is late medieval, being descended from the Rouen models.
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