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Playing cards combine many aspects of our history including paper-making, printing technologies, innovation, symbolism, graphic design and how these have changed over the years. Whatever your interest in cards, you'll find something interesting here.
Polish fortune-telling cards
Fortune-telling pack with divinatory rhymes in Polish, c.1985.
Fundacja Polsat Dzieciom
Set of caricatures and cartoons in aid of a Polish children’s charity. c.2000.
Golf Playing Cards
Humorous designs and non-standard pips poking fun at golf and golfers.
Seven Seas Maori Playing Cards
A Gift from New Zealand
ORIENT The Queen of Cards
A unique Art creation of Subho Tagore
Les Cartes pour l'Égalité
Playing cards for gender equality, created on the 500th anniversary of classic French cards
War Party playing cards
War Party playing cards, in opposition to the Iraq War, USA, 2003.
Iraqi Most Wanted Playing Cards
Playing cards used to help troops identify the most-wanted members of Saddam Hussein's government. 2...
Icelandic picture playing cards / Islensku landslagsspilin
Icelandic picture playing cards with photography by Gudmundur Ingólfsson.
Bridge Markers and bridge scoring methods
Bridge Markers and bridge scoring methods 1900-1930
Kuhn Khan
There is little information available about the early twentieth century card game Kuhn Kahn. It firs...
Managing cards without corner indices
For many hundreds of years cards had no corner indices, were square cut and mostly made from card wi...
Saks-Werbespiel
Promotional playing cards printed by Dondorf for Saks & Company, New York, late 1920s.
Dilkhus playing cards for India
Van Genechten was one of the most competent cardmakers in Turnhout and they produced almost every ki...
Cashmere
Bernhard Altmann is from the “The House of Cashmere” and these playing cards honour their best known...
Fred Basset
Fred Basset card game published by Pepys in 1977 based on the cartoon strip by Alex Graham.
Film Fantasy
Pepys “Film Fantasy” card game based on MGM’s most popular 1939 film releases, issued just at the ti...
Mapit
“Mapit” war map card game published by Geographia Ltd, 55 Fleet Street, London E.C., c.1940s.
Morgan-Greer Tarot
Based on the knowledge, wisdom and interpretation of Paul Foster Case and Arthur Edward Waite.
New Palladini Tarot
“The New Palladini Tarot” by David Palladini published by U.S. Games Inc., in 1996.
The Aquarian Tarot Deck
The Aquarian Tarot Deck illustrated by David Palladini, published by Morgan Press, Inc., 1970.
The Tarot Strikes Back
Roy Huteson Stewart's The Tarot Strikes Back combines Star Wars with Rider-Waite tarot imagery.
House of Tudor
Randy Butterfield's House of Tudor playing cards feature detailed art in a high-quality collectible ...
Jack-O’-Lantern Tarot
Giuliano Costa's Jack-O’-Lantern tarot blends Rider-Waite symbolism with the rich and atmospheric th...
Miniature spanish-suited playing cards
Pack of 48 miniature spanish playing-cards published by C R.
Uncut Sheet by Johann Jobst Forster
A proof sheet containing twelve court cards of conventional French type.
Lend Me Five Shillings
or “Her Majesty’s Privy Purse” - a merry round-the-table game published by D. Ogilvy.
The History of Playing Cards
Playing cards arrived in Europe the late 14th century and rapidly became a part of popular culture. Antique playing cards are like a visit to the local museum and evoke images of past eras and ways of life and also demonstrate archaic technology or production methods. So what do the oldest surviving playing cards look like?
Mathematical Instruments
Mathematical Instruments playing cards forming an instrument maker's trade catalogue, Thomas Tuttell...
The History of Playing Cards
Playing Cards have been around in Europe since the 1370s. Some early packs were hand painted works o...
Portuguese Type Cards made in Belgium
Portuguese Type Playing Cards made in Belgium, c.1878.
A. Camoin & Cie
This deck was inherited from ancestors, it has has a family history surrounding it. Details of the l...
Art & Design
Design Caricatures Abstract Cartoon Celtic Deco Jugendstil Renaissance Rococo SurrealismThe playing card calls for artistic treatment and although the constrained size imposes some limitations there is an almost bewildering wealth and variety of designs in playing cards and their tuck boxes. The serious player requires design to be unobtrusive so that aesthetic considerations remain in the background. However, with modern manufacturing technology more eye-catching designs are becoming popular as gifts, collectibles and for their attractive appearance.
Naval and Military Families
Naval and Military Families produced by Prince and Princess Louis of Battenberg, printed by Ernst Ni...
Baraja Cuauhtémoc
Baraja Cuauhtémoc published by Treviño Narro, Monterrey, Mexico Original artwork by P. X. Santaella ...
Jeu de Familles Les Pierrafeu®
Quartet game featuring The Flintstones and friends.
Soldaty Udachi
“Soldaty Udachi” (Soldiers of Fortune) Army and Police humour playing cards, Russia, 2001.
Oracle, Divination & Tarot
The art of interpreting divine omens - augury or reading karma - has since ancient times been integral to political, civic and religious life.
More recently, Cartomancy and modern esoteric tarot packs have been produced in a wide variety of conceptions and involve use of imagination and intuition to assess one’s thoughts and feelings from the view point of the symbolic images and numbers.
It is possible for an object to be construed as a game in one context, and as something other than a game in a different context.
Tarot, originally a 15th century card game, has evolved into a popular system of personal mysticism, self-exploration and spirituality Learn more about tarot►
EPCS February 1989 Newsletter
Reynolds & Sons Fortune Telling • Superfine Playing Cards • Collecting Theme: GAS • Joseph Reynolds ...
OCCO Game of Tarot
Scott Hill has been working on a tarot pack which can also be used to play card games, the pack has ...
Jack-O’-Lantern Tarot
Giuliano Costa's Jack-O’-Lantern tarot blends Rider-Waite symbolism with the rich and atmospheric th...
Wüst Lenormand deck, c.1860
Wüst Lenormand deck, c.1860
The games we play mirror the world we live in, like popular art. There was a time when friends and family played indoor games by the fireside and enjoyed countless hours of pleasure and amusement. Children don’t play card games so much because they prefer computer games, the ultimate excitement. Antique and vintage card games offer documentary evidence, as well as nostalgic memories, of the social interaction, fashions and stereotypes of bygone days and are a study in social anthropology.
French card games are mostly Jeux des Sept Familles. German games are often pleasing on the eye, and they seem to favour quartet games. USA love quartets of world worthies like authors, painters, composers. Games are not simply an escape from the real world, they are also educational and provide a place to process what it all means.
Vacuation
“Vacuation” published by Pepys games, based on the evacuation of children to Reception Areas in the ...
Shakespearian Misfitz
C. W. Faulkner’s “Shakespearian Misfitz” designed by George Lambert and published around 1907/08 sho...
Shearing the Sheep
Shearing the Sheep published by J. Jaques & Son, c.1875.
Walt Disney playing cards
‘Naipes Donald’, children's miniature Spanish-suited Walt Disney playing cards, Uruguay, c.1990.
The Big Picture
Playing cards have a universal appeal and are a reflection of human culture.
Playing cards are a part of almost every culture and society around the world. These small, rectangular pieces of paper have been a source of entertainment for generations and are still enjoyed by people of all ages today. Whether it’s a simple game of solitaire, a high-stakes game of poker, or a magic trick that delights, there’s something about playing cards that captures the imagination and inspires creativity. As Delef Hoffmann once said “whether we consider cards as mere merchandise or as the bond which unites people with one another, just think of what we would be if we had no cards! How boring and unsociable our lives would be without this invention!”
The origin of cards can be traced back to China, where they were first used as early as the 9th century. From there, the cards travelled across Asia and the Middle East, and finally found their way to Europe in the 14th century.
Since then, playing cards have been used for a wide range of purposes, including fortune-telling and even propaganda. But the most significant impact they have had on humanity is through their use in games, which have brought people together for centuries.
While playing cards have brought people together for fun and play, they have also been a source of disruption in the form of gambling. For many, gambling has become an addiction, leading to financial ruin and even anti-social problems.
The artistic value of cards cannot be overlooked, with their intricate details and unique designs of each card reflecting the creativity and ingenuity of artists. Playing cards are a reflection of our society, with each country and region having its unique designs and styles. As Sylvia Mann put it “there are fashions in cards, and these fashions very often reflect the history of the times”. From the bold and colourful designs of India to the intricate and detailed patterns of Russia, playing cards are a testament to the creativity and diversity of the human experience.
Playing cards are an enduring symbol of human connection and creativity, transcending language, borders and cultures. Through the power of games, they have brought people together for centuries, creating shared experiences that have fostered friendships, learning and social bonds. While their role in gambling has been disruptive, their stunning artistic designs elevate them to works of art, worthy of appreciation and admiration. Playing cards are a testament to the power of human creativity and a reflection of the rich cultural tapestry of our world.
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About the World of Playing Cards
Our aim is to increase awareness and appreciation of the cultural and historical significance of playing cards.
The World of Playing Cards was established in 1996 as a place where you can learn about playing cards, their history, design and manufacture, and see cards from around the world.
They reflect the traditions of many countries. They vary widely in size, style, shape, artistry, usage and many other purposes in education, marketing or even for fortune telling. There is a fascination in playing card design: the neat symmetries and quirky symbols. The composition of the pack - court cards, suits, pips - provides endless scope of play.
They are recognised everywhere around the world - we rarely question their origins.
Since their invention, cards have lost none of their popularity. Playing cards have a long history and it's in the art that the richness of playing cards is to be discovered.
Simon & Adam
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