Chinese Jokers
Chinese playing card makers have probably produced the widest variety of jokers of any single part of the world.
Chinese playing card makers, whether they be based on mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan or even Macau, have a reputation for imitation and replication fused with innovation which has produced perhaps the widest variety of joker playing card designs of any single part of the world.
Designs copied in whole or part from Western classic designs are chiefly limited to the more prolific, later American, British and Belgian classic designs by the US Playing Card Company, Waddington's, Cartamundi but also encompass designs by Consolidated-Dougherty, Arrco, Hoyle, Brepols, Biermans and Ducale.
Copies such as this Chinese version of the classic “Bee No 92" poker deck marketed under the brand name BCG are clearly copies rather than fakes.
Above: Bee No.92 original joker and Chinese copy.
While this anonymous copy of the classic Waddington’s standing jester is a poor quality fake in which no attempt has been made at originality.
Above: Waddingtons original joker and Chinese copy.
Chinese versions are often easily spotted by the poor quality printing, paper, and the custom of producing one joker card in colour and another in monochrome or even just not coloured black and white, as this Arrco inspired Chinese pair illustrate.
Above: ARRCO original joker and Dragon brand copies in colour and B & W.
The later Arrco laughing head jester inspired a run of Chinese imitations with their own adaptations.
The US playing card company standing jester was copied but incorporating the colouring of the Waddington's standing jester to produce novel variations.
Above: US playing card company standing jester, 'Tiger' brand copy and another anonymous copy.
But not as interesting as this design which takes the jester’s face, head, and collar together with the yellow banner from the Cartamundi classic jester, applied to a Chinese original generic unicycling style design.
More Carta Mundi copies.
Above: Carta Mundi joker (top left) and various copies.
Above: Ducale joker (left) and copy.
Above: Hoyle joker (left) and copies.
Above: Russell joker (left) and Michaud copy.
Above: De la Rue joker (left) and anonymous copies.
Above: Biermans joker (left) and anonymous copies.
Above: Piatnik joker (left) and anonymous copy.
Download Part 2► (980 KB PDF)
By Matt Probert
Member since March 02, 2012
I have adored playing cards since before I was seven years old, and was brought up on packs of Waddington's No 1. As a child I was fascinated by the pictures of the court cards.
Over the next fifty years I was seduced by the artwork in Piatnik's packs and became a collector of playing cards.
Seeking more information about various unidentified packs I discovered the World of Playing Cards website and became an enthusiastic contributor researching and documenting different packs of cards.
I describe my self as a playing card archaeologist, using detective work to identify and date obscure packs of cards discovered in old houses, flea markets and car boot sales.
Related Articles
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.
Pam is the Knave of Clubs
Playing cards as metaphors in 18th century art - from fate, chance and social hierarchy t...
Leadmill playing cards
Promotional pack for an arts centre in Sheffield with designs by Martin F. Bedford.
Typographic Playing Cards
Typographic Playing Cards designed by Jim Sutherland, c.2010.
Damn! Fools by Moon
Damn! Fools playing cards designed by Leo Scherfig, 2022.
Crown Hill playing cards
Crown Hill playing cards with illustrations by Corrine Guiney, USA,
Heathen Divinities
Handmade playing cards from the British Museum depicting classical Greek and Roman gods and goddesse...
QAIPES – cartas españolas
Spanish-suited cards made in China inscribed “QAIPES” and “BAIPES”!
The Douce Collection
The Douce Collection of playing cards in the Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford.
Are Playing Cards a Good Investment?
Playing cards can appreciate modestly, with historical annual gains of 2-3%. Rare cards offer higher...
Why our playing-cards look the way they do
Analysis of early playing card designs: origins, suit differences, standardization, technological ad...
Introduction to Collecting Themes
Playing cards can be broadly categorised into standard and non-standard designs, with collectors app...
Portrait Playing Cards
Portrait playing cards, featuring realistic drawings of people on the court cards instead of traditi...
Paco Lobo
Highly original and striking designs by Paco Lobo for the fashion house of the same name.
Jeu Boléro
Sweeping, semi-abstract designs by J.L. Jolin in red and black only.
Trending Articles
Popular articles from the past 28 days
