Portuguese Type Playing Cards made in Belgium
Portuguese type pack with ‘dragon’ aces made in Belgium by Mesmaekers Frères, Turnhout, c.1875-1900.
Later Portuguese Type - ‘Naipes Finos’ made in Belgium for export to Brazil, c.1880. By this date, various Belgian and German exporters of the Portuguese type misrepresented the female 'Sota' (Maid) as a crowned queen: her true rank was below the horseman. Also the small dog has disappeared from the Maid of clubs. The monogram on the six of cups is made to resemble that of the Real Fábrica de Lisboa.
Above: later Portuguese type pack with 'dragon' aces, 48 cards, stencil colouring, made in Belgium by Mesmaekers Frères, Turnhout, c.1875-1900, probably for export to Brazil; lithographed engraved outlines, stencil coloured.
By Simon Wintle
Spain • Member since February 01, 1996 • Contact
I am the founder of The World of Playing Cards (est. 1996), a website dedicated to the history, artistry and cultural significance of playing cards and tarot. Over the years I have researched various areas of the subject, acquired and traded collections and contributed as a committee member of the IPCS and graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal. Having lived in Chile, England, Wales, and now Spain, these experiences have shaped my work and passion for playing cards. Amongst my achievements is producing a limited-edition replica of a 17th-century English pack using woodblocks and stencils—a labour of love. Today, the World of Playing Cards is a global collaborative project, with my son Adam serving as the technical driving force behind its development. His innovative efforts have helped shape the site into the thriving hub it is today. You are warmly invited to become a contributor and share your enthusiasm.
Related Articles
Jeu Quatre Empereurs
Brazilian scenic aces with emperors of Brazil, Austria and France and other dignitaries on the court...
Portuguese cards for Brazil
Portuguese-type cards made in or for Brazil, c.1890.
Cartas Portuguezas
Portuguese pattern playing cards published in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, late 19th century.
Domino Cards, c.1890
Domino Cards by Mesmaekers Frères, c.1890
Anon Spanish Cards c.1875
Spanish-suited playing cards made in Belgium by Mesmaekers Frères, c.1875.
West Flanders Souvenir
West Flanders Souvenir pack manufactured in Belgium by Mesmaekers, c.1950.
Chi Chi Pai
Chinese “Chi Chi Pai” Playing Cards by Mesmaekers Frères for Far East market.
Portuguese pattern
19th century Portuguese pattern, re-printed from original woodblocks.
23: Belgian Makers: Mesmaekers
Gustaaf Mesmaekers founded his business in 1859 in association with Louis- François Moentack, who le...
SOIMCA
SOIMCA - Sociedade Impressora Caxiense - is an important playing card manufacturer in Brazil. It was...
Cartográfica Industrial, Curitiba, Brazil
Double advertising pack made by Cartográfica Industrial for Refrigeração Parana S.A. The extra card ...
Vale Tudo - Cartas para Jogar
Vale Tudo - Cartas para Jogar, manufactured in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The courts are standard English pa...
Mesmaekers & Moentack, c.1860
The Mesmaekers firm had been established in Turnhout in 1859 by the partnership of Gustaaf Mesmaeker...
Mesmaekers Spanish Pack, c.1875
Mesmaekers Spanish Pack for export to Spanish colonies and South American countries, c.1875
Spanish Cards c.1920
Spanish-suited Playing Cards manufactured by Van Genechten, c.1920.
Belgian Playing Cards
Belgian cardmakers have been actively designing and exporting playing cards since the 14th century. ...
Portuguese Type Cards made in Belgium
Portuguese Type Playing Cards made in Belgium, c.1878.
Naypes Finos made in Belgium
Belgian manufacturers were competing against Spanish makers. Features of the traditional Spanish des...
Portuguese Type Playing Cards c.1860
10 cards from a pack of later Portuguese ‘Dragon’ type cards from c.1860, with the Maid of batons ab...
Portuguese Playing Cards
The Real Fábrica de Cartas de Jogar was founded in 1769, by Royal Charter of King José, under the ma...
Most Popular
Our top articles from the past 60 days
