XV Century Spanish-suited playing cards
XV Century Spanish-suited playing cards with moorish influences
Of relevance to the early origins in Spain of the 'Portuguese' suit-system are some archaic cards possibly made in Catalonia or Mallorca, currently preserved in the Spielkarten-Museum at Leinfelden.
The 22 surviving cards include an 8 and 9 of swords with straight intersecting swords (also nine of batons), which are also associated with later Portuguese and Italian Minchiate and Sicilian Tarot cards. The Portuguese-suited pack was being used in Spain intil quite late in the 16th century. The ace of swords is supported by 2 lions, a feature seen in some other early Catalan cards. Perhaps most noteworthy are the cavalier and king of swords who hold double-panelled Nasrid Saracenic shields, common in Muslim-occupied Spain at that time, with a kind of double tassel made of silk and feathers. This feature can be seen in another early Catalan pack►
The cavalier of batons is a centaur, the baton being rather knobbly, and the ‘sota’ (male jack instead of a maid) is a wild man whose body is covered in hair. The king of batons is seated on a throne and is the only card carrying an inscription, which is in gothic lettering. Research by Jean-Pierre Garrigue (2015; p.65) points to a possible Mallorcan or Aragonese origin for this inscription. Some of the lower value numeral cards contain small animals as decoration. Overall these cards point to early Catalonian influence in the spread of playing cards due to their trading activities throughout the mediterranean basin, including near Eastern and moorish destinations during the Mamluk Sultanate.
Above: 22 archaic Spanish-suited playing cards, currently in the Leinfelden Spielkartenmuseum (Germany) Inv. Nr. B-1288. The museum describes the cards as “Provencalisch” and 16th century but further research suggests the cards may be Catalan or Mallorcan, late 15th century. Printed from woodblocks hand-coloured. The complete pack probably contained 48 cards, ie. numerals 1-9 with 3 court cards per suit (no 10s). Images from Jean-Pierre Garrigue, 2015.
Further References
Wikipedia: Nasrid dynasty►
Wikipedia: Wild man►
Garrigue, Jean-Pierre: Le Carte à Jouer en Catalogne XIV & XVI siècles, Les Presses Littéraires, 2015
By Simon Wintle
Spain • Member since February 01, 1996 • Contact
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.
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