Chinese Roles of Beijing Opera

Published September 21, 2015 Updated June 09, 2022

A very impressive deck of cards featuring 54 different images from “Chinese Roles of Beijing Opera” published by HCG Poker Productions, 2005

2005 China HCG Art & Design Ethnic & Indigenous Music Theatre

A very impressive deck of cards featuring 54 different images from “Chinese Roles of Beijing Opera” published by HCG Poker Productions, 2005. One in a series of packs of playing cards portraying Chinese history and cultural treasures, these cards show the Chinese Peking Opera with its rich repertoire, beautiful singing, superb martial arts skills, wonderful makeup and brightly coloured costumes which, according to one commentator, are more impressive than a military parade. It is certainly preferable for countries to understand each other through theatre and art rather than war.

“Chinese Roles of Beijing Opera” playing cards published by HCG Poker Productions, 2005
“Chinese Roles of Beijing Opera” playing cards published by HCG Poker Productions, 2005 Court cards from “Chinese Roles of Beijing Opera” playing cards published by HCG Poker Productions, 2005 Court cards from “Chinese Roles of Beijing Opera” playing cards published by HCG Poker Productions, 2005

Above: “Chinese Roles of Beijing Opera” playing cards, 54 cards printed on 280gm high-grade poker Zhonghua Paper by HCG Poker Productions, 2005.

Right: the back design→

back design from “Chinese Roles of Beijing Opera” playing cards published by HCG Poker Productions, 2005
avatar
307 Articles

By Matt Probert

Member since March 02, 2012

I have adored playing cards since before I was seven years old, and was brought up on packs of Waddington's No 1. As a child I was fascinated by the pictures of the court cards.

Over the next fifty years I was seduced by the artwork in Piatnik's packs and became a collector of playing cards.

Seeking more information about various unidentified packs I discovered the World of Playing Cards website and became an enthusiastic contributor researching and documenting different packs of cards.

I describe my self as a playing card archaeologist, using detective work to identify and date obscure packs of cards discovered in old houses, flea markets and car boot sales.

Related Articles

1730 Songs with Flute accompaniment

Songs with Flute accompaniment

Eighteenth century English engraved cards with music for voice and flute.

2015 Never Mind the Belote

Never Mind the Belote

Limited edition Belote pack with designs by a collective of 24 street artists.

2022 Playing card designs by Franz Exler

Playing card designs by Franz Exler

Reconstruction of playing cards from the original 1903 designs.

2024 MITSCHKAtzen

MITSCHKAtzen

Clever cat designs by the Austrian artist and illustrator Willi Mitschka.

1989 22 Pittori in 22 Arcani

22 Pittori in 22 Arcani

Collaborative Tarot with contributions from 22 different Italian artists including Menegazzi and Tav...

1905 Whist by Ditha Moser

Whist by Ditha Moser

Ditha Moser created this minimalist Whist deck in 1905, in the style of the Vienna Secession art mov...

2018 Keith Haring playing cards

Keith Haring playing cards

Energetic graffiti images by the American artist Keith Haring.

2022 Oracle Rock

Oracle Rock

Cartomantic set depicting rock and pop stars, designed by La Rata, with a book by Virginie Despentes...

1920 Mexican ethnic playing cards

Mexican ethnic playing cards

Mexican ethnic groups depicted on playing cards by Fábrica de Naipes Cuauhtemoc.

1819 Seminole Wars deck

Seminole Wars deck

Seminole Wars deck by J. Y. Humphreys, Philadelphia, c.1819.

1983 Carte di Natale

Carte di Natale

Designed by Pier Canosa as a Christmas pack for the Cortina Art Gallery in Milan.

2024 Queen of Arts

Queen of Arts

A wide variety of women artists celebrated on cards with illustrations by Laura Callaghan.

2015 Fredericks & Mae playing cards

Fredericks & Mae playing cards

A rainbow pack from the design team of Fredericks & Mae and Benjamin English.

1798 Pam is the Knave of Clubs

Pam is the Knave of Clubs

Playing cards as metaphors in 18th century art - from fate, chance and social hierarchy t...

1990 Leadmill playing cards

Leadmill playing cards

Promotional pack for an arts centre in Sheffield with designs by Martin F. Bedford.

1990 Ubo cards

Ubo cards

Traditional Ubo cards from the Philippines made from tree bark.