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French Revolutionary cards by Pinaut
Seven cards from a French Revolutionary pack by Pinaut featuring characters from classical antiquity.
Roddy Somerville • 1 day ago
Zürcher Festspiel 1903
Swiss-suited pack designed by Robert Hardmeyer featuring figures from art and politics.
Roddy Somerville • 3 days ago
An Anonymous Belgian Transformation Pack
Anonymous Belgian transformation pack borrowing many images from earlier designs by Braun & Schneider.
Roddy Somerville • 4 days ago
Tarot de las Coscojas
Historical playing card design, tarot symbolism and an almost psychedelic medieval surrealism.
Simon Wintle • 6 days ago
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
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
Modiano’s Austrian Tarock with country scenes has been in production for over 100 years.
Marek Brejcha • Mar 18, 2025
Songs with Flute accompaniment
Eighteenth century English engraved cards with music for voice and flute.
Roddy Somerville • Mar 17, 2025
Love Tests
Vintage novelty “Love Test” cards of a slightly saucy nature but all in good fun!
Lynda Cowling • Mar 16, 2025
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
Figures and symbols from Norse mythology, designed by Barbro Gustafsson and Inga Lundström.
Roddy Somerville • Mar 14, 2025Current Trends
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.
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.
The Rider Waite Tarot was created at the beginning of the 20th century by Arthur Edward Waite and Pamela Colman Smith.
“Cartes Lenormand” published by H. P. Gibson & Sons Ltd, London, printed in Germany by B. Dondorf, 1920s.
The luxury playing card factory founded in Frankfurt am Main by Bernhard Dondorf in 1833 existed for 100 years.
The Chinese took their cards with them wherever they travelled and traded in the East, and we find Chinese cards in use not only in the mainland but also in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Sin...
John Waddington Limited was a leading producer of playing cards and card games in the UK during the period 1922-1995. The company had been founded in the nineteenth century by Mr John Waddington and W...
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...
De La Rue introduced letter-press printing into playing card production and his patent was granted in 1831. He produced his first playing cards in 1832.
Explore
4,540 articles featuring content from 119 countries, 1,344 manufacturers and 1,126 designers; including 385 themes, 266 brands, 76 suits, 52 games and 31 licenses.



Bicycle No.808
By Simon Wintle

X-Men Playing Cards
By Adam Wintle

New Era No.46
By Rod Starling (1936-2023)

Vanity Fair
By Simon Wintle


Branded Tarot Decks and Modern Mystic Lifestyle
By Adam Wintle

Spanish Historical Characters playing cards, c.1896
By Simon Wintle

IG Chemie Papier Keramik
By Roddy Somerville

Cefacidal
By Simon Wintle


Iraqi Most Wanted Playing Cards
By Peter Burnett

Anti-Religions
By Barney Townshend

Zürcher Festspiel 1903
By Roddy Somerville

Anti-Fascist Propaganda Pack for the Siege of Leningrad, 1942
By Valentin Krasavin (Валентин Красавин)


Carte Romane
By Rex Pitts (1940-2021)

Tarot of the Thousand and One Nights (1001 Nights Tarot)
By Adam Wintle

Jeu de Cartomancie pour l’amusement des Dames
By Simon Wintle

Carnival Playing Cards, 1925
By Barney Townshend


Bicycle Civil War Deck
By Matt Probert

Bicycle Tragic Royalty
By Roddy Somerville

Kingdoms of a New World
By Adam Wintle

Bicycle 808 Bourbon
By Matt Probert
The Big Picture
Playing cards have a universal appeal and are a reflection of human culture.


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!"

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.
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.

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
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