Evolution of Playing Cards

The history of playing cards is interesting and complex, but it all started with the 13th century inventor of the modern pack: a man called Visconti. The popularity of card games at that time was limited to only rich people who could afford expensive decks made up of precious and rare materials such as ivory, gold, and gemstones. The majority of the population had to make do with cheap cards made from wood pulp and barley straw. The invention by Visconti led to changes in the way people played card games. In fact, his contribution remains relevant even today!

12th Century: The Beginning of Playing Cards

The history of playing cards dates back to the 12th century when the precursor to the modern deck of cards was invented in Asia. The Chinese, Koreans, and Japanese all had their own versions of playing cards made from paper, silk, bamboo and other materials. The Chinese even had a variation of the modern deck of cards called “the flower cards” from a deck of cards that featured pictures of flowers and plants. As the Chinese were not a seafaring people, this invention never made its way to the rest of the world. Because the Europeans did not have an indigenous tradition of card games, they had to look to the Islamic world for the origin of playing cards. This is where Europeans learned about the Islamic card game “naqsh”. Played with a deck of many different cards, naqsh is believed to be the direct ancestor of our modern Western card games.

 

The oldest full deck of playing cards known, circa 1470-1480. The Metropolitan Museum of ArtAbove: The oldest full deck of playing cards known, circa 1470-1480. The Metropolitan Museum of Art

 

15th Century: The Renaissance and the Rebirth of Playing Cards

The history of playing cards started to flourish at the beginning of the 15th century with the Renaissance! The rise of the middle class and the invention of a printing technique called woodblock printing, which allowed for cheap and quick production of standardized playing cards, helped the popularity of card games to grow considerably. This was the first time that playing cards were made of paper and not wood pulp. This allowed for a greater variety of card games to be played, and as a result, the history of playing cards saw an increase in innovation and creativity in card games. The history of playing cards truly flourished in the 16th century when the invention of papermaking helped the production of cheap and high-quality cards. Papermaking was easier and less expensive than making cards from wood pulp. This meant that more people could afford to buy playing cards, which helped the popularity of card games to further grow and reach a wide audience.

eighteen cards from a pack of an early form of north Italian playing cards, printed from woodblocks, with the swords back-to-back and curved outwards. Believed to be Venetian, late 15th century. The inscription on the two of batons, whilst at first glance resembling “ano 62”, may in fact be an inscription reading “duos” as the numeral cards in the batons suit have inscriptions giving their values written in what appears to be Venetian dialect. Kings seated on thrones is a format found in other early Italian cards, as well as early Swiss and German cards.
Above: Eighteen cards from a pack of an early form of north Italian playing cards, printed from woodblocks, with the swords back-to-back and curved outwards. Believed to be Venetian, late 15th century. The inscription on the two of batons, whilst at first glance resembling “ano 62”, may in fact be an inscription reading “duos” as the numeral cards in the batons suit have inscriptions giving their values written in what appears to be Venetian dialect. Kings seated on thrones is a format found in other early Italian cards, as well as early Swiss and German cards.

 

16th Century: The Invention of the Joker

The history of playing cards was dominated by a few specific card games during the 16th century. The most popular games were trick-taking card games such as the Spade game, the Heart game, and the Diamond game. The popularity of the games led to the creation of many variations. In particular, the Diamond game led to the creation of the Joker in the history of playing cards. Originally known as the “Eggs” or “Egg” card, the Joker card was added to the Diamond game to make up a full pack of cards. The Joker was introduced as a wild card. This meant that the Joker had no fixed value but could be used as any card in the deck. The Eggs/Joker card was eventually removed from the Diamond game, and the card became a permanent addition to the Spade game.

early Jokers by the firm Charles Goodall & Son, London, (1821-1921) produced during the 1870s-1890s. Victor Mauger soon issued their own Joker →
Above: Early Jokers by the firm Charles Goodall & Son, London, (1821-1921) produced during the 1870s-1890s. Victor Mauger soon issued their own Joker
 

17th and 18th Centuries: Change in Material and Consolidation of Card Games

During the 17th and 18th centuries, papermaking became the standard material for making playing cards, and wood pulp was no longer used. This meant that more varieties of playing cards could be produced. The history of playing cards saw over 10,000 distinct card types with different imagery, colours, and designs produced during this period! The increase in varieties helped to consolidate the different card games that were being played during this period. In particular, the French deck of cards that included the modern suits of Hearts, Clubs, Spades, and Diamonds was introduced and became the standard card game throughout Europe.

illustration of Card Maker's Workshop from L'Encyclopedie by Diderot, d'Alembert, Paris, 1751. At the left-hand side we can see pasting operations and polishing by means of flints fixed to apparatus suspended from the ceiling. In the back room freshly pasted sheets are being pressed and the excess water squeezed out into the bucket. In the central area, sheets of cards are being cut using a cutting machine whilst at the right-hand side finished cards are being inspected and sorted into complete packs. Above: illustration of Card Maker's Workshop from L'Encyclopedie by Diderot, d'Alembert, Paris, 1751. At the left-hand side we can see pasting operations and polishing by means of flints fixed to apparatus suspended from the ceiling. In the back room freshly pasted sheets are being pressed and the excess water squeezed out into the bucket. In the central area, sheets of cards are being cut using a cutting machine whilst at the right-hand side finished cards are being inspected and sorted into complete packs. 

19th Century: Marked Era for Playing Cards

The 19th century was a marked era for playing cards! It was during this period when playing cards made from paper were first mass-produced. The history of playing cards also saw the introduction of machine-made playing cards. The availability of low-cost and high-quality playing cards helped to further spread the popularity of card games and enabled people to play card games even with a low budget. This in turn popularized the playing cards and led to the inclusion of card games as an Olympic sport.

 

20th Century to Present Day: Conclusion

The history of playing cards came to an end with the introduction of synthetic paper and cardstock, which replaced paper made from cotton and linen. This resulted in playing cards that were less expensive and easier to produce. The popularity of the playing cards has not diminished, and the history of playing cards remains an important part of the world’s culture and history. The playing cards are still used for entertainment and as a hobby to pass time. 

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