Habesha playing cards
Habesha playing cards published by “Ethiopian Reflection”
Wonderful rare 54 card pack published by “Ethiopia Reflection.” The words “Habesha Playing Cards” appear on the back of the box, and the name “Ethiopian Reflection” appears on the front and back of the box. Everything else in writing on the box and on the cards is in Amharic. This includes the indices and court card rank designations on the cards. The suit symbols are conventional French suit symbols, and the courts are a charming non-standard design. See the box►
Habesha is a pan-ethnic cultural identity that has been historically employed to refer to Semitic language-speaking and predominantly Orthodox Christian peoples found in the highlands of Ethiopia and Eritrea between Asmara and Addis Ababa (i.e. the modern-day Amhara, Tigrayan, Tigrinya peoples) and this usage remains common today.
Above: Habesha playing cards published by “Ethiopian Reflection”.
By Peter Burnett
United Kingdom • Member since July 27, 2022
I graduated in Russian and East European Studies from Birmingham University in 1969. It was as an undergraduate in Moscow in 1968 that I stumbled upon my first 3 packs of “unusual” playing cards which fired my curiosity and thence my life-long interest. I began researching and collecting cards in the early 1970s, since when I’ve acquired over 3,330 packs of non-standard cards, mainly from North America, UK and Western Europe, and of course from Russia and the former communist countries.
Following my retirement from the Bodleian Library in Dec. 2007 I took up a new role as Head of Library Development at the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP) to support library development in low-income countries. This work necessitated regular training visits to many sub-Saharan African countries and also further afield, to Vietnam, Nepal and Bangladesh – all of which provided rich opportunities to further expand my playing card collection.
Since 2019 I’ve been working part-time in the Bodleian Library where I’ve been cataloguing the bequest of the late Donald Welsh, founder of the English Playing Card Society.
Activity for Habesha playing cards
Sign in to comment or save this article.
Related Articles
Ubo cards
Traditional Ubo cards from the Philippines made from tree bark.
Race Card
‘Race Card’ playing cards published by the Concept Card Co., New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
Ethiopian playing cards
A pack with court cards reflecting different ethnic and cultural groups found in Ethiopia.
The Times of Kamehameha The Great
Figures from Hawaiian history and scenes of everyday life designed by Joseph Feher.
Traditional Nomadic Life of Mongolia
Playing cards depicting paintings of Traditional Nomadic Life of Mongolia.
Happy Playing Cards
Cheerful, colourful designs on handmade paper from Nepal.
Ethiopian
Ethiopian playing cards designed for the Ethiopian Tourist Organization by Afewerk Teklé.
Tonalamatl
Baraja Tonalamatl Mexican Aztec playing cards based on the prehispanic Codex Borgia manuscript.
Ethiopian Air Lines
Ethiopian Air Lines playing cards designed by Melles Habtezghi with courts wearing regional costumes...
Characters of “The Water Margin”
Characters from the Chinese novel “The Water Margin” - 水滸撲克.
Banana Leaf Cards
English Standard pack hand drawn & coloured on banana leaf, c.1820.
Ainu culture
A terrific deck of cards made by Nintendo c.1979 with original designs on every card showing the Ain...
Iceland Mythological Playing Cards
Iceland Mythological Playing Cards designed by Sigurlinna Pétursson, 1958
Pelaco
‘Pelaco’ playing cards with Aboriginal characters by Sands & McDougall, Australia, c.1930.
Kenya Tribes Playing Cards
“Kenya Tribus” playing cards published by Sapra, Mount Kenya Sundries Ltd, Nairobi, 1991
Mongol Playing Cards
Mongol Playing Cards with courts in traditional costume.
Maori
Maori themed playing cards from New Zealand depicting Maori Kings, Queens and Chiefs
Lithuanian
Lithuanian Playing Cards, reprinted by Piatnik, 1995, 2004.
Mongolian Playing Cards
Mongolian Playing Cards.
Naipes Condor
"Naipes Condor" Chilean playing cards, with Chilean symbolism on the suit signs.
Most Popular
Our top articles from the past 60 days
