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- How Were Playing Cards Invented
History of Bridge - The origin of playing cards was in China, where paper was invented, dates back to around the year 1120. Originally, cards were used for fortune telling and gambling. Cards were introduced into Italy and Spain around 1370, probably coming from Egypt. Tarot cards, used for fortune telling, were introduced in Italy in 1440. In 1432, Saint Bernardo warned the 'Faithful' that cards were invented by the Devil, later picked up by the English Puritans -- often regarded a 'The Devil's Picture Book'. By 1495, Henry VII issued a Decree forbidding his servants from playing cards except during the Christmas Holiday. Later, Elizabeth the First levied a tax on the manufacture of playing cards, which generated significant revenues for the Crown. By the era of Queen Anne, card playing was in full swing. Men preferred Piquet, women loved Ombre, while the Clergy and Country Squires played Whist. Have you ever wondered why the Ace of Spades looks so distinctive? Well, it was the official stamp of certification to indicate that the proper English tax was paid on that deck of cards (the Stamp Office kept the only stock of pre-stamped Aces of Spades) -- the card manufacturers were forbidden to produce that Ace. This tax hung around all the way onto 1960, yet the unique look of the Ace of Spades still is found on most decks. By 1860, Europeans as well as Americans accepted card rank naming convention, markings on the faces that declared their values. As far as the 'faces' themselves, the French invented two patterns:
The faces on the Kings were based on historical Rulers:
The faces on the Queens are not quite as clear:
The Jacks, or 'Knaves' (Valet) as they are sometimes referred to, are:
Looking at the characters by segment, we see:
For more on playing cards, seeInternational Playing Card Society Also see Card Names Some believe that the 12 Honors of the deck refer to the 12 signs of the Zodiac or the 12 months of the year. They say the two colors (Red and Black) refer to the Solstice and Equinox phases. They see the four Suits as the four Seasons, the entire pack of 52 cards representing the 52 weeks of the year, and the 13 cards in each Suit being the same as the weeks in each quarter of the year (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall). Bridge was derived from Russian Whist, called was called Biritch, meaning an announcer (players 'announce or herald' their auction). Books on Whist date back to the mid-1700's. The first book was written by none other than Edmond Hoyle, titled Short Treatise Eventually, the French began using ordinary stencils, which could be cheaply produced. Thus, the cost-effective French cards were widely used in England and the United States. For some time, the designations on the 'face cards' varied, but when the French accepted Napoleon as their leader, they reinstated the notion of the King and Queen. However, Napoleon didn't care for their medieval look, believing they should be 'archaeologically correct'. So an artist was assigned to design authentic costumes on the cards. But Napoleon's cards weren't liked by the masses so the medieval cards resurfaced. The first President of the United States, George Washington, enjoyed Bridge. In fact, he enjoyed small wagers on the game, apparently to make it more exciting In 1857, the English began playing Whist in a 'duplicate' method to eliminate most of the luck associated with the deal of the cards. In 1883, American's began playing inner-club matches. In 1891, a duplicate tray was invented, used to hold the cards separately so players could replay the identical cards. The idea was to eliminate chance and provide a true test of skill. The boards were originally called the Kalamazoo tray. Early accounts indicate that in 1903, some of the British civil servants stationed in India created a method of bidding the trump suit, coined 'auction bridge.' A later account dates auction bridge back to 1894, with Turkish or Russian origin from Plevna during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878. By 1893, Bridge was introduced in New York, using formal rules that were recently printed by Henry Barbey. Then in 1925, the American multi-millionaire Harold Vanderbilt, introduced exciting scoring bonuses in Bridge (while on a cruise ship). With this change, auction Bridge became known as 'contract bridge'. In 1931, Ely Culbertson wrote the number one and two book seller of any book, titled The Culbertson Summary and the Blue Book. By the late 1400's, Suits began to appear on cards (the Suits -- Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, and Clubs are know as the French National Suits) -- the first three Suits are presumably adapted from the German Leaves, Hearts and Hawk Bells. Over the next 200 years, the Suits became standardized. Due to the intricate designs on the 'face' cards, the cost to purchase playing cards was originally quite expensive (due to the hand painting) although that didn't keep the 'commoners' from using them. Demand by the populous led to mass production using a technique using the woodcut. The card designs were carved on woodblocks, then inked and printed on paper. These papers were then glued to blank card stock. Around the mid-1400's, the French incorporated suit signs and flat silhouettes in only black and red colors. Incidentally, a regular deck of playing cards are 8.9cm long x 6.3cm wide. But since Bridge players hold 13 cards, the Bridge deck is 8.8cm long x 5.7cm wide. |
The origin of playing cards stretches so far back into the shadows of history that it is impossible to point to a specific time or place as their first point of origin. It is more likely that playing cards emerged at different times and in different cultures across the ages. For Europe, this time came around the latter half of the 14th century with one of the earliest historical references coming in 1379 (Giovanni de Covelluzzo, City of Viterbo). By that time, however, playing-cards were as well known in Switzerland and Germany as they were along the Mediterranean coast.
The riddle puzzling historians is how did they get there in the first place. The exact origin of playing cards and their introduction to European culture has been an elusive thread to trace.
The United States Playing Card Company has manufactured the world’s finest playing cards since 1885, but where did it all begin? Which decks were first off the printing press? Bicycle® Playing Cards are the most famous brand of playing cards in the world today. Although we know what year the f. An English educational pack of 'Memory cards' of c.1605 includes copies of elegant court cards made in Rouen, where cards of a particular design were made especially for export to England. Study of these cards goes far to explain peculiar features of later English-made versions.
There are basically four theories which are discussed in the literature:
- The idea that playing cards were invented in China, and gradually found their way west until they arrived in Europe.
- The idea that bands of roving Gypsies introduced them to Europe as they journeyed from village to village side-show and entertaining.
- The idea that Crusaders returning from the Holy Land brought them back to Europe with them.
- The idea that playing cards crossed the Mediterranean from Egypt.
China and the Far East
The idea that playing cards somehow made their way from China to arrive in Europe around the 1370s is an idea born more out of the tendency to ascribe all things unknown to the “East”, than it does out of evidence or plausibility.
It is true that China provides us with the earliest tangible artefacts, in the form of paper money cards dated from the 12th century. It has long been recognized that China was highly advanced in paper manufacture, they had invented woodblock printing, and they lived in a sophisticated society – all the semblances necessary for the production and widespread diffusion of playing cards.
Yet, it is difficult to piece together any connections with 14th century Europe, or to suggest a route by which they may have come to the Continent. It was certainly not by the Turkish Empire, because that road had long since been blocked off.
More importantly, however, is that these early Chinese “money cards” bear no resemblance to the earliest European designs at all. Las vegas casinos online gambling. Chinese playing cards were long and narrow, and were covered in Chinese characters. It’s difficult to see a relationship or how these may have transformed into the cards we have today.
It is more likely that these playing cards arose in China, or perhaps Korea, as similar artefacts have been found there.
The other 'Eastern Empire' from which playing cards are thought to have originated is India. It is true that India traded with a number of European countries around and along the Mediterranean. However, playing-cards were not known in India until the 16th century, or so the evidence would suggest. Which makes it highly improbable that India was the birth place of playing cards. Playing-cards had appeared in Europe a full 150 years before then. Some have even speculated that the journey was the reverse, and that playing-cards were introduced to India from Europe. But this is a difficult proposition to sell as the playing-cards of India are so different to those of Europe both in style and in shape. There is simply no apparent relationship.
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The Gypsies
The idea that roving Gypsies travelling from village to village to delight, deceive, and entertain the village town folk is a romantic notion, and one that seems a plausible explanation for the introduction of playing-cards to Europe. The problem with this theory is that Gypsies are not known to have arrived in Europe in any significant numbers until the early 15th century. By then, playing cards were well and truly vested in European culture.
There is some speculation that Gypsies journeyed through the Turkish Empire, so there does remain the possibility, however remote, that they may have acquired playing cards there, if they existed. But how they got them to Europe, remains another question, since by the time Gypsies arrived, everyone in Europe was already playing cards.
The Crusaders
So nearing now the coast of the Mediterranean itself, it has been suggested that playing cards were brought back from the Holy Land by returning Crusaders. There is nothing to suggest their existence in Palestine in the first place. But significantly, the last crusade ended in 1291. Playing cards were not known in Europe until almost 100 years later.
The Mamelukes
This then leaves us with the Islamic countries bordering the Mediterranean as the only other place from which playing cards could have originated. According to this theory European playing cards originated in Egypt.
The jewel in the crown of this theory is a deck of cards discovered in the Topkapi Sarayi Museum, Instanbul, in 1939. The Mameluke Deck, discovered by Professor L. A. Mayer, dates from the 15th century. However, subsequent finds have yielded even older examples from the 12th century.
The Mamelukes were a caste of hard nail warriors who ruled in various parts of Egypt from 1254 until 1517.
The Mameluke Deck closely resembles the earliest European designs in many important respects. Firstly, it is a deck of 52 cards divided into 4 suits of 13 ranks. Each suit has numbers 1 to 10, represented by suit symbols or “pips” on the card. And each suit has 3 Court Cards 'Malik', 'Na'ib Malik', and 'Thani Na'ib', meaning “King”, “Viceroy”, and “Under Viceroy”.
The resemblance to early Italian packs is immediately apparent. Even in the shape and arrangement of suit symbols on the cards, and also in the way the court cards are represented – not as faces, but as abstract geometric patterns.
It was the refinement and modification of the early Italian design, that we understand as the foundation of the modern European playing card.
The Mameluke Deck is a stunning artefact because it is so much like the standard modern playing card we have today. In fact, you could play any one of our modern games with them today.
The cards from China of the same period are not like these at all, and are not arranged in the same manner. Similarly, we can say the same of Indian cards, and of the games we play with them. The history of European card playing is distinct and unique, like that of other cultures.
In our search to trace the origin of playing cards back into antiquity, some rich and interesting facts have been unearthed. We have seen that playing cards and games of chance and skill have been practiced in many cultures and in many different time periods. However, the exact route by which playing cards arrived in Europe may never be fully understood or known. There is plenty of information about playing card games online. In addition to Titlemax Reviews, some websites offer reviews of the best sites to play cards online.
French Regional Patterns of the 18th Century | |
By the beginning of the Eighteenth century, war, and no doubt extravagance, had drained France's national treasury to little more than copper coins in a tin pot. In 1701 a new duty was imposed on playing cards of 18 deniers a deck. In order to collect the new tax, the country was divided into nine manufacturing regions. Each manufacturer was required to submit a design block to the ‘Recettes generales’. It was in this manner that each region was allotted its own design. Read More » |
How Were Playing Cards Invented The Most
Early Standard Playing Cards | |
Very little is known about the history of card making in England. However, through a pictorial history of French, English and American patterns it is clear to see the origins of the English Pattern and its patrimony in the French Rouen design. START HERE » |
How Were Playing Cards Invented The American Flag
Card Masters of the 19th Century
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L I N K S
♠ Where did Playing Cards come from?
♠ A Concise History of Playing-Cards
♠ The History of Playing Cards: The Evolution of the Modern Deck
♠ A Concise History of Playing-Cards
♠ The History of Playing Cards: The Evolution of the Modern Deck
How Were Playing Cards Invented Since
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