Aztec Codex playing cards
Aztec Codex playing cards illustrated by Emmanuel Valtierra, USA, ©2015.
Inspired by the ancient Aztec art found on the Mesoamerican manuscripts made by the pre-Columbian Aztecs, and their descendants during the colonial period in Mexico, Emmanuel Valtierra, an Illustrator from San Antonio, Texas produced this Aztec codex playing card pack via Kickstarter in 2015. According to Valtierra “the purpose of the cards will be to introduce new generations to the old style of art in a very fun way. We will be able to start learning some basic elements of the Aztecs”. All the cards were designed to have a meaning according to the codex.
The kings are based on the last 4 huey tlatoanis (emperors) of Mexico. Cuahutemoc, Moctezuma, Tizoc, and Ahuizotl. The queens portray Aztec women doing their labours - taking care of the babies, gardening, cooking, and watching the house while their men are labouring for the village. The Jacks represent different kinds of Aztec warriors but the most important (and well known) are the eagle and jaguar warriors. The cards are shaded to look like they are on parchment, with decorative suit signs throughout. The Jokers are the mystical Aztec Gods - Hutzilopochtli (the sun god representing war and sacrifice) and Tlaloc (the rain god representing fertility and growth), while Quetzalcoatl (the Aztec god of wind, air, and learning) is shown on the tuck box►
Above: Aztec Codex playing cards illustrated by Emmanuel Valtierra, published via Kickstarter, USA, 2015.
By Peter Burnett
Member since July 27, 2022
I graduated in Russian and East European Studies from Birmingham University in 1969. It was as an undergraduate in Moscow in 1968 that I stumbled upon my first 3 packs of “unusual” playing cards which fired my curiosity and thence my life-long interest. I began researching and collecting cards in the early 1970s, since when I’ve acquired over 3,330 packs of non-standard cards, mainly from North America, UK and Western Europe, and of course from Russia and the former communist countries.
Following my retirement from the Bodleian Library in Dec. 2007 I took up a new role as Head of Library Development at the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP) to support library development in low-income countries. This work necessitated regular training visits to many sub-Saharan African countries and also further afield, to Vietnam, Nepal and Bangladesh – all of which provided rich opportunities to further expand my playing card collection.
Since 2019 I’ve been working part-time in the Bodleian Library where I’ve been cataloguing the bequest of the late Donald Welsh, founder of the English Playing Card Society.
Related Articles
The UCR Deck
Giant-size cards designed by Thomas Sanders to advertise courses and facilities at UCR.
Fredericks & Mae playing cards
A rainbow pack from the design team of Fredericks & Mae and Benjamin English.
Red Hat Society playing cards
Society that encourages women in their quest to get the most out of life.
Mountain Dream Tarot
Groundbreaking Tarot created by Bea Nettles, using photographs and photo montage.
Clear Skies
‘Clear Skies’ playing cards paying tribute to the Ukrainian people in the face of war.
Junior Playing Cards
Child-friendly versions of standard English pattern cards designed by Louie Mantia, Jr.
Last Call Cats playing cards
Bar-crawling cats, designed by artists Arna Miller and Ravi Zupa.
Damn! Fools by Moon
Damn! Fools playing cards designed by Leo Scherfig, 2022.
Covered bridges playing cards
Historical covered bridges with photography by Bill Miller, 2006.
Motherpeace Round Tarot
An original and imaginative feminist tarot based on Goddess energy.
Victorian playing cards
54 different card designs including people, animals, flowers, costumes and ornaments popular during ...
Crown Hill playing cards
Crown Hill playing cards with illustrations by Corrine Guiney, USA,
O-Shlemiel card game
O-Shlemiel card game with Yiddish words and phrases.
Hesslers Four-Colour “No Revoke” Deck
Hesslers Maiden Back Four-Colour “No Revoke” Deck, with enhanced visibility and a traditional look. ...
The Heart Deck™
Useful information about heart health on every card.
Star Trek® – The Original Series
Promotional pack for CIC Video with characters and starships from the original series of Star Trek. ...
Trending Articles
Popular articles from the past 28 days
