Baraja Gaucha
“Baraja Gaucha” fantasy deck designed by Mateo Tikas Plechas for Argentina, 1998.
Baraja Gaucha fantasy deck designed by Mateo Tikas Plechas for Argentina, 1998, inspired by the costumes and customs of the Gauchos. Gauchos have become a sort of national symbol and an important part of regional cultural tradition in Argentina and Uruguay.



Above: Baraja Gaucha fantasy deck designed by Mateo Tikas Plechas and printed by Naipes Heraclio Fournier for Argentina, 1998. 48 cards + 2 jokers in box. Several cards have small vignettes depicting gaucho life, and these are shown below.


By Simon Wintle
Member since February 01, 1996
I am the founder of The World of Playing Cards (est. 1996), a website dedicated to the history, artistry and cultural significance of playing cards and tarot. Over the years I have researched various areas of the subject, acquired and traded collections and contributed as a committee member of the IPCS and graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal. Having lived in Chile, England, Wales, and now Spain, these experiences have shaped my work and passion for playing cards. Amongst my achievements is producing a limited-edition replica of a 17th-century English pack using woodblocks and stencils—a labour of love. Today, the World of Playing Cards is a global collaborative project, with my son Adam serving as the technical driving force behind its development. His innovative efforts have helped shape the site into the thriving hub it is today. You are warmly invited to become a contributor and share your enthusiasm.
Related Articles

Pierre Varangot
Tracing the origins, legality and legacy of Pierre Varangot’s San Sebastián deck.

Archaic Spanish-suited pattern from Bayonne
Archaic Franco-Spanish pattern from Bayonne by a manufacturer with the initals M.V.

Danao Tiāngōng Puke
Children’s playing cards based on the 1961 Chinese animated feature film 大闹天宫 (Havoc in Heaven).

Tarot de las Coscojas
Historical playing card design, tarot symbolism and an almost psychedelic medieval surrealism.

Tarot de Valverde de la Vera
A series of 24 surrealist engravings by Mexican artist Claudio Favier in which archetypal Tarot alle...

Kazakh Tales
Bold designs by K.K. Karpun and S. Nukenov inspired by Kazakh folk tales.

Baraja de Juan Martín Zamorano
Deck inspired by El Pendón de los Zamorano, a military pennant dating from 1501, published by Priego...

Heráldica Castanyer No. 16
Strange variant of international pattern cards for poker or bridge.

Jockey Club de Buenos Aires
Spanish-suited pack by Chas Goodall & Son Ltd for the Jockey Club, Buenos Aires.

Mexican ethnic playing cards
Mexican ethnic groups depicted on playing cards by Fábrica de Naipes Cuauhtemoc.

Seminole Wars deck
Seminole Wars deck by J. Y. Humphreys, Philadelphia, c.1819.

Fantasy Spanish-suited deck
Fantasy Spanish-suited deck by Bertschinger y Codina, Barcelona.

Bertschinger y Codina - Cartes Françaises
French ‘Paris’ pattern made by Bertschinger y Codina, Barcelona, c.1850.

Braulio Fournier
Baraja Nº 1 produced by Braulio Fournier, Burgos, c.1868.

Pirritx eta Porrotx
Happy Families card game from the Spanish Basque Country.

Naipe Vizcaino
‘Naipe Vizcaino’ designed by Javier Urkiri and published by Industrias Gráficas Castuera and the Caj...
Most Popular
Our top articles from the past 28 days