Mr Deuceace and Mr Dawkins sitting at a round table playing cards Since 1996, this collaborative project has grown to include 4,538 articles by 28 contributors, including researchers, collectors, artists and historians covering topics from Art Nouveau to Zoology. We move beyond simply cataloguing playing cards by date, manufacturer and place of origin, and adopt a dynamic, interactive and thematic approach, bridging the past with the present, telling stories, opening conceptual perspectives and the necessary reflectiveness to gain new insights and ways to appreciate their role in history.

French Revolutionary cards by Pinaut

Seven cards from a French Revolutionary pack by Pinaut featuring characters from classical antiquity.

Zürcher Festspiel 1903

Swiss-suited pack designed by Robert Hardmeyer featuring figures from art and politics.

An Anonymous Belgian Transformation Pack

Anonymous Belgian transformation pack borrowing many images from earlier designs by Braun & Schneider.

New Articles

Zürcher Festspiel 1903
Zürcher Festspiel 1903

Swiss-suited pack designed by Robert Hardmeyer featuring figures from art and politics.

Roddy Somerville • 2 days ago
An Anonymous Belgian Transformation Pack
An Anonymous Belgian Transformation Pack

Anonymous Belgian transformation pack borrowing many images from earlier designs by Braun & Schneider.

Roddy Somerville • 2 days ago
Tarot de las Coscojas
Tarot de las Coscojas

Historical playing card design, tarot symbolism and an almost psychedelic medieval surrealism.

Simon Wintle • 4 days ago
The European Interchanges Quartets
The European Interchanges Quartets

A card game based around motorway intersections from European countries.

Marek Brejcha • Mar 26, 2025
Tarot de Valverde de la Vera
Tarot de Valverde de la Vera

A series of 24 surrealist engravings by Mexican artist Claudio Favier in which archetypal Tarot allegories are...

Simon Wintle • Mar 22, 2025
Austrian Tarock by S.D. Modiano
Austrian Tarock by S.D. Modiano

Modiano’s Austrian Tarock with country scenes has been in production for over 100 years.

Marek Brejcha • Mar 18, 2025
Songs with Flute accompaniment
Songs with Flute accompaniment

Eighteenth century English engraved cards with music for voice and flute.

Roddy Somerville • Mar 17, 2025
Love Tests
Love Tests

Vintage novelty “Love Test” cards of a slightly saucy nature but all in good fun!

Lynda Cowling • Mar 16, 2025
Briefmarken-Quartett
Briefmarken-Quartett

Quartet game featuring postage stamps from the Zones of Occupation in post-WWII Germany.

Roddy Somerville • Mar 15, 2025
The Game of the Gods
The Game of the Gods

Figures and symbols from Norse mythology, designed by Barbro Gustafsson and Inga Lundström.

Roddy Somerville • Mar 14, 2025
Prager Pattern by Bratří Willnerové, Teplice
Prager Pattern by Bratří Willnerové, Teplice

Traditional single-ended Prager pattern by Willner Brothers from northern Bohemia.

Marek Brejcha • Mar 10, 2025

Current Trends

Tarot de Valverde de la Vera 1980

A series of 24 surrealist engravings by Mexican artist Claudio Favier in which archetypal Tarot allegories are re-imagined as a mirror of the contradictory forces within us.

Corner Indices 1864

Corner Indices were a major innovation in playing card production.

Canasta 1947

Canasta is a card game of the Rummy family which originated in Uruguay probably about 1947.

The King of Hearts, holding a sword behind his head, is sometimes nicknamed the “Suicide King”. He can be seen to derive from a late medieval design showing a King wielding a battle axe.

Rider Waite Tarot early editions

Rider-Waite Tarot 1909

The Rider Waite Tarot was created at the beginning of the 20th century by Arthur Edward Waite and Pamela Colman Smith.

Mexican Poker 1991

Mexican Poker cards made by Juegos y Fichas, S.A. de C.V., Mexico, 1991

Traditionally cardmakers worked in guilds with long apprenticeships under master craftsmen.

Dondorf 1833

The luxury playing card factory founded in Frankfurt am Main by Bernhard Dondorf in 1833 existed for 100 years.

Portuguese Playing Cards 1490

The Real Fábrica de Cartas de Jogar was founded in 1769, by Royal Charter of King José, under the master craftsman Lorenzo Solezio, brother of Félix Solesio who ran the Spanish Real Fábrica at Machara...

The playing card calls for artistic treatment and although the constrained size imposes some limitations there is an almost bewildering wealth and variety of designs in playing cards and their tuck bo...

The court cards in English packs of playing cards derive from models produced by Pierre Marechal in Rouen around 1565. A pack of such cards is preserved in the museum at Rouen.


Explore

4,538 articles featuring content from 119 countries, 1,343 manufacturers and 1,126 designers; including 385 themes, 266 brands, 76 suits, 52 games and 31 licenses.

A decorative black and white line ornament with a circular design in the center and horizontal lines extending from both sides

Tarot
Tarot, originally a 15th century card game from Italy, has evolved into a form of personal mysticism and spiritual exploration, offering new visions of expanding awareness. more
1980 Tarot de Valverde de la Vera
1909 Rider-Waite Tarot

Rider-Waite Tarot

By Saskia Jansen


Transformation
The best-known fantasies with playing cards are the ‘Transformation’ cards. Hand-drawing ‘transformations’ onto a pack of ordinary playing cards, with the suit symbols forming part of the overall composition, became a popular pastime 200 years ago and a test of skill in drawing. A great deal of ingenuity is required in their design. The earliest printed sets were published at the start of the 19th century, often published in the form of an almanac or sometimes known as ‘metastasis’, and these became a fashionable and entertaining novelty.

In the strict sense of the word ‘Transformation’ the pips should be in their standard positions and form part of, or fit into, the overll image portrayed on the card. more
1800 Transformation of Playing Cards
1496 South German Engraver

South German Engraver

By Simon Wintle

1895 Vanity Fair

Vanity Fair

By Simon Wintle

1896 Ye Witches’ No.62 Fortune Cards

Art & Design
The playing card calls for artistic treatment and although the constrained size imposes some limitations there is an almost bewildering wealth and variety of designs in playing cards and their tuck boxes. The serious player requires design to be unobtrusive so that aesthetic considerations remain in the background. However, with modern manufacturing technology more eye-catching designs are becoming popular as gifts, collectibles and for their attractive appearance. more
14: Back Designs

14: Back Designs

By Ken Lodge

Chinese Jokers

Chinese Jokers

By Matt Probert

1989 22 Pittori in 22 Arcani

22 Pittori in 22 Arcani

By Roddy Somerville


Joker
The 'Joker' is believed to have been invented by American Euchre players who, when modifying the rules sometime during the 1860s, decided that an extra trump card was required. more
2000 Jest Jokers

Jest Jokers

By Simon Wintle

1957 De la Rue’s 125th anniversary
Hand Drawn Joker Pack

Hand Drawn Joker Pack

By Jon Randall


Nature & Environment

Nature is filled with so much beauty that it’s only natural to feel uplifted in the presence of trees & birdsong. Sitting quietly in nature opens access the deeper states of peaceful consciousness that so many are seeking. Many artists have been inspired to design playing cards after spending quality time close to nature.

• See also Botany

1997 Rat-a-Tat Cat

Rat-a-Tat Cat

By Rex Pitts (1940-2021)

1893 Animal Grab

Animal Grab

By Simon Wintle

2014 Pagan Playing Cards by Uusi
1961 Garden Flowers

Garden Flowers

By Rex Pitts (1940-2021)


The Big Picture

Playing cards have a universal appeal and are a reflection of human culture.

A decorative black and white line ornament with a circular design in the center and horizontal lines extending from both sides
Simon & Adam Wintle

Above: Chinese money-suited cards. Some of the earliest cards have origins in the Far East.

Playing cards are a part of almost every culture and society around the world. These small, rectangular pieces of paper have been a source of entertainment for generations and are still enjoyed by people of all ages today. Whether it's a simple game of solitaire, a high-stakes game of poker, or a magic trick that delights, there's something about playing cards that captures the imagination and inspires creativity. As Delef Hoffmann once said "whether we consider cards as mere merchandise or as the bond which unites people with one another, just think of what we would be if we had no cards! How boring and unsociable our lives would be without this invention!"

Dasavatara Ganjifa from India

Above: Dasavatara Ganjifa from India. Playing cards from India are often circular.

The origin of cards can be traced back to China, where they were first used as early as the 9th century. From there, the cards travelled across Asia and the Middle East, and finally found their way to Europe in the 14th century.

Since then, playing cards have been used for a wide range of purposes, including fortune-telling and even propaganda. But the most significant impact they have had on humanity is through their use in games, which have brought people together for centuries.

Above left: a set of Spanish playing cards from 1638 was discovered inside a prison wall during demolition, likely used for gambling by prisoners. Above center: Trump Presidential playing cards, playing cards are often used for political messages. Above right: the Magician from the popualr Rider-Waite tarot, which has become the template for modern tarot decks.

Above left: a set of Spanish playing cards from 1638 was discovered inside a prison wall during demolition, likely used for gambling by prisoners. Above center: Trump Presidential playing cards, playing cards are often used for political messages. Above right: the Magician from the popualr Rider-Waite tarot, which has become the template for modern tarot decks.

While playing cards have brought people together for fun and play, they have also been a source of disruption in the form of gambling. For many, gambling has become an addiction, leading to financial ruin and even anti-social problems.

The artistic value of cards cannot be overlooked, with their intricate details and unique designs of each card reflecting the creativity and ingenuity of artists. Playing cards are a reflection of our society, with each country and region having its unique designs and styles. As Sylvia Mann put it "there are fashions in cards, and these fashions very often reflect the history of the times". From the bold and colourful designs of India to the intricate and detailed patterns of Russia, playing cards are a testament to the creativity and diversity of the human experience.

Playing cards from different cultures

Above left: Kashmir Playing Cards, above center: Ethiopian Air Lines playing cards produced by Nintendo, above right: striking playing cards designed by Masuo Ikeda.

Playing cards have a wide embrace, spanning across cultures and countries, with a scope of diverse subjects that reflect the values and beliefs of their respective societies.

Playing cards are an enduring symbol of human connection and creativity, transcending language, borders and cultures. Through the power of games, they have brought people together for centuries, creating shared experiences that have fostered friendships, learning and social bonds. While their role in gambling has been disruptive, their stunning artistic designs elevate them to works of art, worthy of appreciation and admiration. Playing cards are a testament to the power of human creativity and a reflection of the rich cultural tapestry of our world.

References

  • The Playing Card, Delef Hoffmann, 1972
  • Collecting Playing Cards, Sylvia Mann, 1966