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
Founder and editor of the World of Playing Cards since 1996. He is a former committee member of the IPCS and was graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal for many years. He has lived at various times in Chile, England and Wales and is currently living in Extremadura, Spain. Simon's first limited edition pack of playing cards was a replica of a seventeenth century traditional English pack, which he produced from woodblocks and stencils.
Related Articles

Keith Haring playing cards
Energetic graffiti images by the American artist Keith Haring.

Heráldica Castanyer No. 16
Strange variant of international pattern cards for poker or bridge.

Fantasy Spanish-suited deck
Fantasy Spanish-suited deck by Bertschinger y Codina, Barcelona.

Virgil Solis
Remarkable pack of 52 animal-suited playing-cards designed and etched by Virgil Solis.

Carte di Natale
Designed by Pier Canosa as a Christmas pack for the Cortina Art Gallery in Milan.

Bertschinger y Codina - Cartes Françaises
French ‘Paris’ pattern made by Bertschinger y Codina, Barcelona, c.1850.

Braulio Fournier
Baraja Nº 1 produced by Braulio Fournier, Burgos, c.1868.

Queen of Arts
A wide variety of women artists celebrated on cards with illustrations by Laura Callaghan.

Fredericks & Mae playing cards
A rainbow pack from the design team of Fredericks & Mae and Benjamin English.

Pirritx eta Porrotx
Happy Families card game from the Spanish Basque Country.

Naipe Vizcaino
‘Naipe Vizcaino’ designed by Javier Urkiri and published by Industrias Gráficas Castuera and the Caj...

Baraja Turística del País Vasco
Basque poker deck of 55 cards published by Fournier with scenic views of the Basque Country.

Baraja Vasca
Spanish Basque Country deck with original drawings by María Isabel Ibañez de Sendadiano.

Pam is the Knave of Clubs
Playing cards as metaphors in 18th century art - from fate, chance and social hierarchy t...

Baraja Cultura Española
ASESCOIN pack for 2022 designed by M.A. Corella featuring famous Spaniards and notable buildings.

Leadmill playing cards
Promotional pack for an arts centre in Sheffield with designs by Martin F. Bedford.
Most Popular
Our top articles from the past 28 days