Gluckhaus is a Landsknecht dicing game from the 16th century. The name means “House of Fortune,” it is played with two dice, and it is designed to pass the time.

Please note that I do not supply COUNTERS at the base price. There are tiny pewter counters available, at a cost $25 for a bag of 75. They are hand cast, lead free pewter, and they are visible in the 1st, 4th photo. You can add the counters through a separate listing, if desired.

The main listing is for the game board, instructions, and a pair of dice. The dice included are handmade bone reproductions of Roman dice, which I purchased.

The Rules: 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. This game may be played with any sort of counter. I like m&ms, myself. The board is fabric, and washable, if you like m&ms, too.

Special features:
4 skips a turn.
7 is an invitation to a wedding, and since everyone brings a gift to a wedding, you always leave a penny on this square.
2 is the lucky pig, and collects everything on the board except the wedding gifts, because even a pig wouldn't steal from a wedding.
12 is the king, and the king takes everything in taxes, including all the wedding gifts.
Play continues indefinitely. I have been amazed at how entertaining this game is to children.

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 unlike the version of this board that I produced in the past, there are no human figures, with their pesky clothing, specific to a time or place.

The figures were based off the 1506 Horae by Thielmann Kerver, which is in the British Museum. He based his figures off Phillipe Pigouchet's Horae. Pigouchet was a Parisian printer working in the 1490s.I found this information in vol. 2 of An Introduction to the history of woodcuts by Arthur M. Hind in the section on Paris-- Books of Hours, and the apple orchard scene is on page 692.

This is an unnumbered edition, and consists of hand carved woodcut blocks -- yes, even the giant blue background is a hand carved woodcut. It is printed on muslin on a Vandercook press and a C&P. This version was printed in 2022. It includes a letterpress printed card (hand set lead type) with instructions. It measures 23” x 12”. If you wash it, I recommend cold water and a delicate cycle -- the ink will not transfer to other items, however the edges of the image may soften.

All photographs by Morgan Donner.