South American Costumes

Published June 16, 2023 Updated June 16, 2023

Costumes of people of Brazil, Peru and Mexico, with views of Rio de Janeiro on the aces.

1860 Germany Latin America Wüst Ethnic & Indigenous Fashion & Costume Hispanoamericana

The court cards in this double-ended pack of 52 playing-cards produced by C. L. Wüst of Frankfurt am Main are figures of people of Brazil, Peru and Mexico, and on the aces are views of Rio de Janeiro, with titles in Portuguese. The four kings have borders decorated in the same style as the kings in the Hamburg deck made for Hanchen Rübcke (also by Wüst). The C.L.Wüst six-pointed star motif can be seen on the jack of clubs.

© The Trustees of the British Museum

Above: uncut proof sheet with four aces and twelve court cards, the latter illustrating the costumes of South America. © The Trustees of the British Museum • Museum number 1896,0501.1193


The Four Aces

The aces have different topographical or historical views in the vicinity of Rio de Janeiro at each end.  (click to flip the images).

© The Trustees of the British Museum

Above: uncut sheet with four aces lacking suit-marks from a collection of engraved working proofs. © The Trustees of the British Museum • Museum number 1896,0501.1215


References

British Museum: figures of people of Brazil, Peru and Mexico

O’Donoghue, Freeman M: Catalogue of the collection of playing cards bequeathed by Lady Charlotte Schreiber, Trustees of the British Museum, London, 1901 (Sheets German 44 & German 222) [digital version here]

Thanks also to Paul Symons for additional research.

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By Simon Wintle

Member since February 01, 1996

Founder and editor of the World of Playing Cards since 1996. He is a former committee member of the IPCS and was graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal for many years. He has lived at various times in Chile, England and Wales and is currently living in Extremadura, Spain. Simon's first limited edition pack of playing cards was a replica of a seventeenth century traditional English pack, which he produced from woodblocks and stencils.

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