Tensho Mekuri - Japan
Tensho Mekuri cards hand-made by Patricia Kirk, 2003.
Mekuri Tensho playing cards are derived from the early ‘Dragon’ type cards of the 16th century, usually associated with cards which arrived in Japan via trading routes to Spain and Portugal. The 48-card deck consists of four suits of twelve cards each, ace through nine pip cards, a female sota, a mounted caballo and a seated rey.
Above: limited edition recreation of Tensho Mekuri cards, based on an 18th century original, hand-made by Patricia Kirk, 2003. The deck also includes a Tengu and an extra card to make a total of fifty cards. The cards are about 1½" wide by 2¼" high and 1/32 of an inch thick.
By Simon Wintle
Spain • Member since February 01, 1996
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.
Activity for Tensho Mekuri - Japan
Sign in to comment or save this article.
Related Articles
The archaic “Classic Madrid” Pattern
Centralisation, standardisation and consolidation of the Spanish card tradition.
Bicycle Ancient Machine playing cards
Bicycle Ancient Machine playing cards designed by concept artist Juniardi Satyanagara, USA, 2015.
Portuguese-suited cards
Portuguese-suited cards with dragon aces, made in Italy, 1613.
Toledo, 1584
Archaic Spanish-suited deck with 48 cards made in Toledo in 1584.
Perspectives on the History of Tarot
From a Renaissance Card Game to a Medium of Spiritual Meaning and Identity.
Suicide King
The King of Hearts, holding a sword behind his head, is sometimes nicknamed the “Suicide King”. He c...
Hanafuda Flower Cards
Japanese Flower Cards (Hanafuda) made by Nintendo, Japan, 2008.
Bicycle No.808
The famous Bicycle playing cards were first introduced by Russell & Morgan Printing Co in 1885. More...
The United States Playing Card Company
Over the years the pressures of competition and other market forces have led to many smaller manufac...
History of Blackjack
Over the years the origin of Blackjack, like many other games, has eluded researchers for a long tim...
Mamluk Playing Cards
Nã'ib, the game of lieutenants... these cards are amongst the earliest Arabic playing cards ext...
Hana Fuda - Japan
Hana Fuda playing cards hand-made by Patricia Kirk, 2003
Antique Swiss Playing Cards, c.1530
The Swiss national suit system of shields, acorns, hawkbells and flowers originated sometime during ...
Unsun Karuta
Unsun Karuta うんすんかるた Japan c.1780.
Italian Playing Cards
The first reliable evidence that playing cards were being used in Italy is from 1376, when a game ca...
The History of Playing Cards
Playing cards appear in European records in the late 14th century, but their earlier history lies fu...
Baraja Morisca — Early XV century playing cards
Primitive Latin suited pack, dated by paper analysis as early XV century, which makes this one of th...
History of Court Cards
The court cards in English packs of playing cards derive from models produced by Pierre Marechal in ...
Early History of Playing Cards & Timeline
Out of an apparent void, a constellation of references in early literature emerge pointing to the su...
U. S. A.
The manufacture of playing cards in America only began during the second half of the 18th century, a...
Most Popular
Our top articles from the past 60 days
