Baraja Marinera
‘Baraja Marinera’ designed by Francisco Javier San Juan, published by Asescoin (Madrid), 1995
Baraja Marinera, 1995
‘Baraja Marinera’ was designed by Francisco Javier San Juan in 1990 and published by Asescoin (Madrid) as their special (limited edition) member's pack in 1995. The project was a memorial to Don Luis Mayoral “Cholo” who was an expert sailor and a personal friend of the artist. The suit symbols are ship's wheels, lanterns, fish hooks and sailor's knots. The same court card images are used in each suit but with different colour schemes. The artist's signature can be seen on every card. An extra card explains that the fish hook suit also includes paleolithic and neolithic hooks as well as squid lures, whilst the Ace shows a whaling harpoon.
Above: ‘Baraja Marinera’ designed by Francisco Javier San Juan, published in a limited edition by Asescoin (Madrid), 1995. 40 cards + 2 Jokers + 3 extra cards in tuckbox.
By Simon Wintle
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.
Related Articles
Patience by Joseph Glanz
A refined and distinctly European Patience pack by Joseph Glanz from Austria.
Modern Swiss-German Pattern (carta.media)
Modernizing tradition: balancing clarity and continuity in regional card design.
Pierre Varangot
Tracing the origins, legality and legacy of Pierre Varangot’s San Sebastián deck.
Archaic Spanish-suited pattern from Bayonne
Archaic Franco-Spanish pattern from Bayonne by a manufacturer with the initals M.V.
Tactics Design
Late modernist Japanese playing cards designed by Masayoshi Nakajo for Tactics Design.
The Decadent Deck
Studies in the eroticism of the female body by Inge Clayton.
Historic Shakespeare
“Historic Shakespeare” playing cards featuring Shakespearean characters by Chas Goodall & Son.
Sunday Night / Nichiyoubi no Yoru
An irreverent, avant-garde deck unofficially titled "Nichiyoubi no Yoru" (Sunday Night), designed by...
Emilio Tadini playing cards
Beautiful dreamlike playing card designs by Emilio Tadini.
Zürcher Festspiel 1903
Swiss-suited pack designed by Robert Hardmeyer featuring figures from art and politics.
Tarot de las Coscojas
Historical playing card design, tarot symbolism and an almost psychedelic medieval surrealism.
Tarot de Valverde de la Vera
A series of 24 surrealist engravings by Mexican artist Claudio Favier in which archetypal Tarot alle...
Never Mind the Belote
Limited edition Belote pack with designs by a collective of 24 street artists.
Playing card designs by Franz Exler
Reconstruction of playing cards from the original 1903 designs.
MITSCHKAtzen
Clever cat designs by the Austrian artist and illustrator Willi Mitschka.
22 Pittori in 22 Arcani
Collaborative Tarot with contributions from 22 different Italian artists including Menegazzi and Tav...
Most Popular
Our top articles from the past 28 days
