Playing Cards from Latvia

Livonians were amongst "the godless hosts of heathen swarming o'er the northern sea" along with Viking, Scandinavian and Icelandic pirates. Latvia was Christianised during the 13th century, and has been ruled successively by Poland, Sweden and Russia. Playing cards in Latvian are called Spēlu Kārtis.

Latvians were apparently introduced to playing cards by the Swedes, because the word for court cards “Kungs” comes from the Swedish “Kung” (which means “King”). The meaning of “Kungs” in Latvian is “Gentleman” or “Sir”.

A 36-card Madame Lenormand type cartomancy deck was published in Latvia in 1876 by J. Schablowsky of Jelgava, titled “Game of Happiness”. The illustrations were in black and white and a Gothic typeface was used for the divinatory meanings printed on each card.

Ordinary playing cards with Latvian costumes were published for the first time in Riga in March 1918 supported by the government of Kaiser's Germany with the intention of involving the Baltic area in Germany's political agenda. Regulations passed by the Cabinet of Ministers in 1922 decreed that only the Latvian Red Cross had legal rights in Latvia to import, produce or sell playing cards. Packs were to be wrapped inside special wrappers with the Latvian Red Cross insignia on the Ace of Hearts. This regulation was in force until the German occupation in 1941. The best Latvian playing cards were produced just after independence, during the period 1921-1942. Enrst Plates A.S. of Riga was a well-known manufacturer.

See also:   Rihards Zarinš • Stefans Bercs • Reinholds Kasparsons • Karlis Krauze • Arturs Duburs • Black Peter • Karlis Padegs • Privātā

Above: the first Latvian pack designed by graphic artist Prof. Rihards Zarinš in 1921   See more →.

In 1923 a competition was announced for a new Latvian pack. The winner of this competition was the silversmith Stefans Bercs and this pack became the most popular in Latvia.   See more →.   Over the years around 20 different original packs have been produced in Latvia by different graphic artists. In addition a number of Russian type packs have been published with Latvian company's advertisements on the reverse.

See also:   Rihards Zarinš • Stefans Bercs • Reinholds Kasparsons • Karlis Krauze • Arturs Duburs • Black Peter • Karlis Padegs • Privātā

See article by Jānis Mētra in The Playing Card, vol.32, no.1, July-August 2003, and also: Latvian Playing Cards by Jānis Mētra, Riga, 2006.