The best-known fantasies with playing cards are the ‘Transformation’ cards. Hand-drawing ‘transformations’ onto a pack of ordinary playing cards, with the suit symbols forming part of the overall composition, became a popular pastime over 200 years ago and a test of skill in drawing. The earliest printed sets were published at the start of the 19th century, often published in the form of an almanac or sometimes known as ‘metastasis’, and these became a fashionable and entertaining novelty.
In the strict sense of the word ‘transformation’ the pips should be in their standard positions and form part of, or fit into, the overall design on the card. When the pips have been moved around from their traditional places these are known as semi-transformation cards.
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