Playing Cards from South East Asia
Playing cards, introduced by the Chinese and quickly adopted in Southeast Asia, became pivotal in regional gambling practices, transforming into a primary entertainment form by the 15th century. Over the past 100 years, various producers, artists, and manufacturers from Southeast Asia have continued this tradition, creating card packs that reflect a diverse mix of design and cultural influences.
Brunei • Cambodia • East Timor • Indonesia • Laos • Malaysia • Myanmar (Burma) • Philippines • Singapore • Thailand • Vietnam
REFERENCES:
- Reid, Anhtony: Southeast Asia in the Age of Commerce 1450-1680, Yale University Press, 1988
3: 20th/21st Century Variants including some from China
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by Ken Lodge
I expect most collectors ignore cards made in China for export. It's true that many of them are close copies of American models, but there are also some interesting, even peculiar, redrawings of the standard English pattern.
Back to the 80s Lenormand
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by Adam Wintle
History meets pop culture in a 36-card set that pays tribute to Lenormand's legacy and the colourful world of 1980s Japanese-style comics.
Bet You Don't Want That - an anti-gambling playing cards
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by Adam Wintle
'Bet You Don't Want That' is an anti-gambling campaign done mid 2013 for an advertising competition.
Calon Arang • Калон Аранг - Бали
Calon Arang, a figure from 12th-century Javanese and Balinese folklore known as a witch skilled in black magic, is the subject of a preserved manuscript at the Royal Netherlands Institute. Калон Аранг • персонаж яванского и балийского фольклора, датируемого 12 веком. Традиция называет ее ведьмой, мастером черной магии. Неизвестно, кто сочинил эту историю, но рукопись текста Калон Аранга (написанная латинским алфавитом) хранится в Королевском нидерландском институте исследований Юго-Восточной Азии и Карибского бассейна.
Chi Chi Pai
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by Simon Wintle
Chinese “Chi Chi Pai” Playing Cards by Mesmaekers Frères for Far East market.
Children’s Vocabulary Cards
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by Simon Wintle
Thai Children’s Colour Vocabulary Cards promoting Ovaltine chocolate malt drink, 2016.
Donkey game from Malaysia
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by Anthony Lee
“Donkey” children's card game designed and created by Ooi Yan Hee, manufactured by Hee Trading Co., Malaysia, 1984
Dutch costume playing cards
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by Paul Symons
Dutch costume playing cards made for the Dutch market in the second half of the 19th century.
EPCS February 2024 Newsletter Members Only
Lenthall's Delightful Cards • Cards supposedly by Wheeler • No, It Isn't an Early Wheeler • Chloe Campbell's Wren Cards • Speed: the Motor Cards • “Melox” Happy Families • Playing Cards for the Pegu Club • Military Card Backs • The Worshipful Company • Cards 2023-24 • The Blitz and Wartime Card Production in Britain • Henry Reason's Game of Parliament • Aesop's Fables
Four Colour Cards / 四色牌 / Si Sek Pai
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by Anthony Lee
Four Colour Cards made in Belgium for Far Eastern markets
Garuda Indonesia
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by Matt Probert
Souvenir playing cards from Garuda Indonesia Airlines, the national airline of Indonesia.
Garuda Indonesia Airline
Souvenir pack from Garuda Indonesia, the national airline of Indonesia, c.1985.
Hee Trading Co
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by Anthony Lee
Hee Trading Co., Malaysia, manufacture board games, jig-saw puzzles, chess sets, games compendiums as well as card games such as Happy Families, Donkey and Snap.
Hokkien Four Colour Cards
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by Anthony Lee
The characters on the cards are written one way for red and yellow, and another for green and white. They are: 將 士 象 車 馬 包 兵 for white and green; 帥 仕 相 俥 傌 炮 卒 for red and yellow.
Joseph Bardou & Fils cigarette papers
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by Simon Wintle
Delightful pack advertising Joseph Bardou & Fils cigarette papers for the Philippines.