Hofämterspiel

It was found among the great collection of art treasures of Archduke Ferdinand II of Tirol in castle Ambras, Austria, together with another called Ambraser Hofjagdspiel.

Their heraldic suits represent, to an extent, "the political and dynastic relationships in Central Europe in middle of the 15th century" and are "of a quality unsurpassed at this early date.

The so-called Mantegna Tarocchi from Italy, c.1465, also has a similar approach in ranking professions in a hierarchy or social order however it was used for educational purposes and not for a game.

The very fine quality of the cards, as well as the particular ranking scheme, suggest that the Hofämterspiel was likely used for playing a trick-taking game, in which the Narr and Narryn might have acted as jokers.

[4] In 1976, Piatnik, in conjunction with the Kunsthistorisches Museum produced a limited edition facsimile of the pack as a boxed set of 48 cards and an accompanying booklet with commentaries by notable researchers.