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Mr Deuceace and Mr Dawkins sitting at a round table playing cards Since 1996, this collaborative project has grown to include 4,475 articles by 25 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.

Seminole Wars deck

Seminole Wars deck by J. Y. Humphreys, Philadelphia, c.1819.

Fantasy Spanish-suited deck

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

Engel-Tarot

Set of major arcana designed by Alois Hanslian depicting angels throughout.

New Articles

Fantasy Spanish-suited deck
Fantasy Spanish-suited deck

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

Simon Wintle • Dec 26, 2024

Engel-Tarot
Engel-Tarot

Set of major arcana designed by Alois Hanslian depicting angels throughout.

Roddy Somerville • Dec 24, 2024

Virgil Solis
Virgil Solis

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

Simon Wintle • Dec 22, 2024

Carte di Natale
Carte di Natale

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

Roddy Somerville • Dec 22, 2024

Trappola cards from Poland
Trappola cards from Poland

Trappola cards published in Warsaw by J G Du Port during the 18th century.

Simon Wintle • Dec 21, 2024

Victorian grocer’s scale plate
Victorian grocer’s scale plate

Large flat plate decorated with highly coloured English cards and royal arms.

Roddy Somerville • Dec 21, 2024

The UCR Deck
The UCR Deck

Giant-size cards designed by Thomas Sanders to advertise courses and facilities at UCR.

Roddy Somerville • Dec 20, 2024

Bertschinger y Codina - Cartes Françaises
Bertschinger y Codina - Cartes Françaises

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

Simon Wintle • Dec 20, 2024

Braulio Fournier
Braulio Fournier

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

Alec Gibb • Dec 19, 2024

Tarot Actuel 1984
Tarot Actuel 1984

Major arcana to cut out, issued with the French magazine Actuel, using photographic images.

Roddy Somerville • Dec 18, 2024

Queen of Arts
Queen of Arts

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

Roddy Somerville • Dec 18, 2024

Fredericks & Mae playing cards
Fredericks & Mae playing cards

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

Roddy Somerville • Dec 18, 2024

The Glasgow Pack
The Glasgow Pack

Issued to celebrate Glasgow’s reign as European City of Culture in 1990, with city views and works of art.

Roddy Somerville • Dec 16, 2024

Verkeers Kwartet
Verkeers Kwartet

A helpful quartet game celebrating the 75th anniversary of road safety exams making traffic safer.

Simon Wintle • Dec 16, 2024

Pirritx eta Porrotx
Pirritx eta Porrotx

Happy Families card game from the Spanish Basque Country.

Egoitz Campo Gonzalez • Dec 9, 2024

Naipe Vizcaino
Naipe Vizcaino

‘Naipe Vizcaino’ designed by Javier Urkiri and published by Industrias Gráficas Castuera and the Caja de Ahorr...

Egoitz Campo Gonzalez • Dec 6, 2024

Cathedrals, Abbeys & Minsters playing cards
Cathedrals, Abbeys & Minsters playing cards

54 pictures of different famous cathedrals, abbeys and minsters in England and Wales.

Peter Burnett • Dec 6, 2024

Spanish pattern by Eugène Boisse
Spanish pattern by Eugène Boisse

Spanish pattern published by Eugène Boisse, Bordeaux.

Simon Wintle • Dec 6, 2024

Baraja Turística del País Vasco
Baraja Turística del País Vasco

Basque poker deck of 55 cards published by Fournier with scenic views of the Basque Country.

Egoitz Campo Gonzalez • Dec 3, 2024

Christmas Carols
Christmas Carols

Christmas Carols playing cards illustrated by Stuart Dilks

Peter Burnett • Dec 2, 2024

Catalan pattern by B.P Grimaud
Catalan pattern by B.P Grimaud

Standard Spanish Catalan pattern deck made in Paris by B.P Grimaud.

Simon Wintle • Dec 1, 2024

Baraja Vasca
Baraja Vasca

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

Egoitz Campo Gonzalez • Dec 1, 2024

Current Highlights

Manufacture of Playing Cards

Manufacture of Playing Cards

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

Cartes Lenormand

“Cartes Lenormand” published by H. P. Gibson & Sons Ltd, London, printed in Germany by B. Dondorf, 1...

Donkey game from Malaysia

“Donkey” children's card game designed and created by Ooi Yan Hee, manufactured by Hee Trading Co., ...

Conjuring and Magic

Conjuring and Magic

The art of mystifying people is very old indeed. The first conjurers were priests who obtained power...

Early History of Playing Cards & Timeline

Out of an apparent void, a constellation of references in early literature emerge pointing to the su...

Dungeons and Dragons Tarot

This 78-card officially licensed Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) tarot deck offers a visually appealing var...

Tarot of the Unknown

Inspired by the Halloween Cartoon “Over the Garden Wall”.

Canasta

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

Dungeons & Dragons “Curse of Strahd” Tarokka Deck

Enhance your Dungeons & Dragons game with the Tarokka Deck, a tarot-inspired set of cards that bring...

Waddington’s Playing Cards

John Waddington Limited was a leading producer of playing cards and card games in the UK during the ...


Explore

4,475 articles featuring content from 118 countries, 1,314 manufacturers and 1,094 designers; including 386 themes, 265 brands, 76 suits, 50 games and 30 licenses.

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

Playing Cards have been around in Europe since the 1370s. Some early packs were hand painted works of art which were expensive and affordable only by the wealthy. But as demand increased cheaper methods of production were discovered so that playing cards became available for everyone... more

1495 Mamluk Playing Cards

Mamluk Playing Cards

By Simon Wintle

History of Court Cards

History of Court Cards

By Simon Wintle

1864 Corner Indices

Corner Indices

By Simon Wintle

1947 Canasta

Canasta

By Simon Wintle


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

Playing Card Design

Playing Card Design

By Simon Wintle

1967 Salvador Dalí

Salvador Dalí

By Barney Townshend


United States Playing Card Co.

Over the years the pressures of competition and other market forces have led to many smaller manufacturers being taken over by larger ones. The outcome is that the U.S.P.C.C. is now the largest manufacturer in the United States. more

2003 Iraqi Most Wanted Playing Cards
1993 X-Men Playing Cards

X-Men Playing Cards

By Adam Wintle

2003 Playboy playing cards

Playboy playing cards

By Roddy Somerville


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

1893 Animal Grab

Animal Grab

By Simon Wintle

1950 Black Peter

Black Peter

By Sean Comstock

1951 Animal Rummy

Animal Rummy

By Rex Pitts (1940-2021)

1995 Beesten Kwartet

Beesten Kwartet

By Rex Pitts (1940-2021)


Olympics

The Olympic Games offer a variety of exciting sports, plenty of action photography with international participants from around the world. They also have a long history (the first games were held in Athens in April 1896), with milestone moments, impressive achievements and visual appeal, all of which offer great possibilities for design on playing cards.

2024 Paris 2024 Olympics 2

Paris 2024 Olympics 2

By Roddy Somerville

2024 Paris 2024 Olympics 3

Paris 2024 Olympics 3

By Roddy Somerville

1992 Het Olympisch kaart- en kwartetspel

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!"

Joker by Simon Wintle

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.

Simon & Adam Wintle

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

About the World of Playing Cards

Our aim is to increase awareness and appreciation of the cultural and historical significance of playing cards.

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

The World of Playing Cards was established in 1996 as a place where you can learn about playing cards, their history, design and manufacture, and see cards from around the world.

Simon & Adam Wintle

Simon Wintle (right) with Adam Wintle (left) visiting Ayutthaya in Thailand, 2016.

They reflect the traditions of many countries. They vary widely in size, style, shape, artistry, usage and many other purposes in education, marketing or even for fortune telling. There is a fascination in playing card design: the neat symmetries and quirky symbols. The composition of the pack - court cards, suits, pips - provides endless scope of play.

Joker by Simon Wintle

They are recognised everywhere around the world - we rarely question their origins.

Since their invention, cards have lost none of their popularity. Playing cards have a long history and it's in the art that the richness of playing cards is to be discovered.

Simon & Adam