Maya Playing Cards
The designs of Mayan artists shown here give a general idea of their enormous artistic and cultural potential.
Maya Playing Cards, c.1991
Productora de Naipes y Confetti S.A. de C.V. (Pronaco), Mexico
With their imagination, skill and aesthetic perfection, the designs of Mayan artists shown here give a general idea of their enormous artistic and cultural potential. Mayan glyphs and artistic representations have been incorporated into the cards which also maintain the familiar numerical characteristics of Anglo-American playing cards. In addition to the Arabic numbering, each card also contains the Mayan equivalent of playing card suits and simple Mayan numbering. The set includes a multi-lingual leaflet published by Mundo Maya / Creaciones Artesanales del Sureste and a booklet describing the history of the Mayas, inside a specially made artesanal box.
Above: Maya Playing Cards ('Naipe Tipo Maya') manufactured in Mexico by Pronaco S.A. de C.V., Georgia 167 Col Napoles Mexico 03810 D.F. 1991. Using a bark paper background (Amate) the central space area of each card has been used to place the hieroglyphics or images corresponding to days, months, gods or important characters. The back design represents a stucco piece forming part of a death offering discovered in the tomb located inside the pyramid known as 'The Temple of the Inscriptions" at Palenque, Chiapas.
Above: detalle de una página pictogramas del Códice Trocortesiano, siglo XVI. MUSEO DE AMÉRICA more →
See also: Mexico homepage • Naipe Victoria • Naipes Nacionales • Souvenir of Mexico • El Fenix • Las Dos Torres • Cassino • El León • Gallo • Baraja Taurina • Aztec Playing Cards • Aeronaves de Mexico • Anonymous Manufacturers • La Cubana • Camacho • Editorial RAF • Pierrot • Acapulco Souvenir • Pronaco • Soberano • Juegos y Fichas • Naipes Gacela • Bartolo Borrego • Munguia
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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