Gluckhaus book
Gluckhaus

By Jenny Craig
Seattle, Washington: Notta Pixie Press, 2007. Second Edition.

23 x 12" single sheet of cloth. Originally printed by Jenny Craig over the course of 2002-2003. This is the second edition, an unnumbered edition, printed in blue and red during 2007. Handcarved linoleum blocks printed on muslin using a Vandercook press. Includes a letterpress instruction card.

Jenny Craig: "Gluckhaus is a Landsknecht [mercenary German pikemen] dicing game from the 16th century. The name means 'House of Fortune'; it is played with two dice and is designed to pass the time. The board has numbered squares. After rolling a pair of dice, consult the square. If it is empty, deposit a penny on it. If it has a penny on it, collect the penny. Special features: roll a 4 and skip a turn, a roll of 7 is an invitation to a wedding, and since everyone brings a gift to a wedding, you always leave a penny on this square. The lucky pig rolls a 2, and collects everything on the board except the wedding gifts, and a roll of 12 crowns you king, so you get every square in taxes. Play continues indefinitely.

"I am intrigued by games and cards, as they present an opportunity for lavish illustration and the use of symbols. To me the representations within a game are a different kind of language, and I enjoy playing in that realm, where both visual and verbal are important to create understanding. This board was heavily influenced by images from early woodcuts (primarily 14th and 15th century), and by allegorical and iconic figures. Here you will find reflected the medieval concept of the estates of man: Nobility, Merchants, Peasants and Clergy, and also the traditional rites of passage that define life: birth, marriage and death."
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