Amorous Translucent Playing Cards

Published April 11, 2018 • Updated August 13, 2024

Amorous Translucent Playing Cards, French, c.1850.

During the 18th and 19th centuries romantic “Love Motto” or proverbial packs, depicting amorous couples with rhyming couplets or fortunes printed beneath, were a popular entertainment [see Georgian Fortune-Telling; Baraja del Amor]. However, during the 19th century in France translucent playing cards with hidden, but more explicit, amorous scenes became the rage. The hidden image becomes visible when a card is held up to the light.

The cards are enclosed in a case which clips shut (click to zoom) →

Amorous Translucent Playing Cards, French, c.1850

The Court Cards

Royal figures - Kings, Queens and Jacks - are depicted in innocent poses. There is no information regarding the actual manufacturers or when exactly they were made, but they tend to be from around the mid-19th century.

The Hidden Images

When held up to a light hidden images of an amorous nature can be seen. In the example shown here one card has been scorched by someone viewing too closely in front of a candle. Unfortunately the five of clubs is missing and the six of diamonds has a small candle burn at the top (shown to right).

Above: translucent pack of French 1850 cards. Stencil coloured. The size of the cards is 87mm by 55mm. The reverse is blank. All images courtesy Alex Lamont.

The Romans also enjoyed pornographic imagery...

There is, of course, nothing new in depictions of erotic incidents, real or imaginary, sometimes involving prostitutes or even animals, and these have been discovered on domestic items such as lamps, and on mural paintings in Roman dwellings, for example , as well as in Greek and Roman sculpture and literature.

Above: erotic scene from Roman mural painting. Image from Museo Nacional de Arte Romano, Mérida.

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By Simon Wintle

Spain • Member since February 01, 1996

I am the founder of The World of Playing Cards (est. 1996), a website dedicated to the history, artistry and cultural significance of playing cards and tarot. Over the years I have researched various areas of the subject, acquired and traded collections and contributed as a committee member of the IPCS and graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal. Having lived in Chile, England, Wales, and now Spain, these experiences have shaped my work and passion for playing cards. Amongst my achievements is producing a limited-edition replica of a 17th-century English pack using woodblocks and stencils—a labour of love. Today, the World of Playing Cards is a global collaborative project, with my son Adam serving as the technical driving force behind its development. His innovative efforts have helped shape the site into the thriving hub it is today. You are warmly invited to become a contributor and share your enthusiasm.