Chi Chi Pai
Chinese “Chi Chi Pai” Playing Cards by Mesmaekers Frères for Far East market.
Chinese “Chi Chi Pai” Playing Cards manufactured in Belgium by Mesmaekers Frères, c.1890, for the Far East market.
Above: Chinese “Chi Chi Pai” playing cards manufactured in Belgium by Mesmaekers Frères for Indonesia, c.1890. 60 cards in paper wrapper.
Above: the paper wrapper has the spread eagle holding four lightning flashes in each talon trademark, first registered by Mesmaekers Frères in 1886 (renewed 1933). The name of the importing agent is printed beneath.
By Simon Wintle
Member since February 01, 1996
Founder and editor of the World of Playing Cards since 1996. He is a former committee member of the IPCS and was graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal for many years. He has lived at various times in Chile, England and Wales and is currently living in Extremadura, Spain. Simon's first limited edition pack of playing cards was a replica of a seventeenth century traditional English pack, which he produced from woodblocks and stencils.
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