Âs Nas

Âs Nas playing cards from Persia, between 1750-1850, consisting of five cards repeated four or five times and representing a king (Shâh or Pishâ, on a dark green background), a queen (Bîbî, on a yellow background), a lion or a sun (Shîr va Khurshíd or âs, on a black background), a dancer (Lakat) or a hunter (Kouli) on a red background and a soldier (Sarbâs, on a white or gold background) The game calls for a certain amount of "bluffing", and is reputed to be the ancestor of the game of poker.

Above: Âs Nas type playing cards from Persia, 1750-1850. Illuminated and lacquered oil painting on cardboard; 6.1 x 4.3 cm. Source gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France • Cartes à jouer persanes de type Âs Nas►