Playing Cards from Around the World
The different countries in the world feature distinct cultures and histories, styles of government, many different languages, national suit systems and playing card patterns. Some of the older patterns are now archaic or extinct, whereas others are universal.
Africa playing cards
According to the United Nations there are 54 countries on the continent of Africa
Playing cards in Morocco
The earliest literary references to playing cards in Europe refer to the game having been introduced...
Argentinian Playing Cards - Naipes Argentinos
Playing cards were introduced to the Americas with Spanish explorers such as Columbus or Cortés.
Australia
Playing cards from Australia.
Belgian Playing Cards
Belgian cardmakers have been actively designing and exporting playing cards since the 14th century. ...
Brazil
Playing card production in Brazil was officially sanctioned by royal decree in 1770.
Catalan Playing Cards
With a distinct history stretching back to the early middle ages, many Catalans think of themselves ...
Chilean Playing Cards
Naipes Chilenos ~ Chilean playing cards were based upon Spanish models.
Chinese Playing Cards 中国纸牌
The Chinese took their cards with them wherever they travelled and traded in the East, and we find C...
Colombia
Colombian playing cards.
Czechoslovakia
The Republic of Czechoslovakia was founded in 1918 from the former Austro-Hungarian empire.
Playing Cards from Ecuador
There has been very little playing card manufacture in Ecuador. Cards are mostly supplied from Colom...
Estonia
Estonia's first period of independence lasted 22 years, beginning in 1918, and this period was one o...
Playing cards from Finland
Playing cards from Finland. Finnish cards have a relatively short history, presumably because the co...
French Playing Cards
Some of the oldest cards still in existence come from France. During the 16th and 17th centuries Fra...
German playing cards
Card-playing rapidly became popular in medieval Bavaria and German printers were quick to supply the...
Greek Playing Cards
Greek Playing Cards.
Hong Kong
A large proportion of the world's souvenir and pin-up playing cards originate from Hong Kong.
Playing Cards from Ireland
During the nineteenth century playing cards were being produced in Dublin, Cork and Limerick.
52: The Isle of Man
The Isle of Man has always been a tax haven within the British Isles and it has also had some intere...
Italian Playing Cards
The first reliable evidence that playing cards were being used in Italy is from 1376, when a game ca...
Japanese Playing Cards
Japanese playing cards include: 'Awase' or 'matching pairs' cards and Portuguese or Spanish-derived ...
Korea
The game of Hanafunda was introduced into Korea by the Japanese and modified somewhat by the Koreans...
Latin American Playing Cards
Playing cards had been introduced to the Americas with explorers such as Columbus or Cortés, whose f...
Latvian Playing Cards
The best Latvian playing cards were produced just after independence, during the period 1921-1942.
Lithuanian Playing Cards
During the 20th century Lithuanian printers produced striking playing cards containing Lithuanian sy...
Playing Cards from Malaysia
Playing Cards from Malaysia.
Playing Cards from Mexico
MEXICO shares a long tradition with Spain in the field of playing cards and also merges two complete...
Mongolian Playing Cards
Mongolian Playing Cards.
Netherlands
Playing cards have been known in the Low Countries since the 14th century
45: New Zealand
There are three main New Zealand makers that I'm aware of : A.D. Willis, John Dickinson, and Strong ...
Panama playing cards
Not a lot of playing cards have been produced in Panama, only a couple of locally-produced tourist s...
Paraguayan Playing Cards
Playing Cards in Paraguay
Peruvian Playing Cards
Playing cards have been travelling from Spain to South American colonies ever since Christopher Colu...
Polish Playing Cards
Poland has been involved in playing card production since the 15th century.
Portuguese Playing Cards
The Real Fábrica de Cartas de Jogar was founded in 1769, by Royal Charter of King José, under the ma...
Russian Playing Cards
Playing cards were known in Muscovy as early as the last quarter of the sixteenth century.
Playing Cards in El Salvador
Cards were first imported to Central America from Spain, although local production has always existe...
Playing Cards in Singapore
Playing Cards in Singapore, one of the Four Asian Tigers.
Spanish Playing Cards ~ La Baraja Española
Spain has played a pivotal role in the history of playing cards in Europe and Latin America.
Sweden
Swedish cards have characteristics in common with their Scandinavian neighbours
Swiss Playing Cards
The Swiss national suit system of shields, acorns, hawk bells and flowers emerged sometime during th...
Thai & Siamese Playing Cards
The Portuguese were the first Westerners to trade with Ayutthaya in Thailand in the 16th century. Tr...
Tunisia
Playing Cards in Tunisia. Chkobba is one of the most popular card games in Tunisia, mainly played by...
United Kingdom
Playing cards first arrived in England during the 15th century, but none have survived from such an ...
Uruguayan Playing Cards
Until the 19th century playing cards were imported into Uruguay from Spain.
U. S. A.
The manufacture of playing cards in America only began during the second half of the 18th century, a...
Playing Cards in Venezuela
Naipes “El Torero” No. 1000 manufactured in Caracas by Productos Nacaral C.A., c.1975
Playing cards in Wales - Welsh playing cards
Whereas the distinctiveness of Wales is an important resource contributing to the rich texture of va...