Playing cards from around the world

December 10, 2002 4:24 AM

Playing cards from around the world. Spanish cards, Swiss cards, Finnish cards, Israeli cards and Japanese cards, for example. Just a small part of the collection at the Elliot Avedon Museum and Archive of Games at the University of Waterloo, Ontario.
posted by misteraitch (5 comments total)

Brings back memories of playing obscure card games with a game history geek friend of mine at the SCA Heraldic Symposium once. And of course drinking a lot.

Flower Cards is kinda fun really.
posted by Foosnark at 8:51 AM on December 10, 2002

I love playing card deck art, and once set out to design a set... I think I ended up drawing three of them.

Here's another person with a great online collection of unusual decks, including an aluminum deck, and a set of werewolf theme cards, whose page leads in with this remark:

I know what you're saying: "Oh no, not another deck of playing cards where the jacks, queens and kings are werewolves in the Old West of an alternative reality to our own!" But here it is, and a wonderfully conceived deck it is, too.

And here is a different collection that includes a deck designed by Erte for Sobranie of London.
posted by taz at 9:24 AM on December 10, 2002

I remember italian playing cards from when I was a child, playing with a friend who was half italian - it was a forty card deck I think; the suits were swords, cups, clubs, and ? oh, coins, I think... clubs were like the wooden weapon, like a bat, not our funny little clover thingy.

There's an italian restaurant in my 'hood called "three of cups" which i've always assumed was named for the card.
posted by mdn at 11:44 AM on December 10, 2002

well, should've known spain & italy would have pretty much the same set up. shouldn't comment before clicking... it was just the memory was so strong I couldn't help myself... :)
posted by mdn at 11:47 AM on December 10, 2002

oo, nostalgy! i have played with that finnish deck ages ago! mind you, they're all local celebrities from the 15'th d 16'th century on those cards....
posted by inkeri at 12:39 PM on December 10, 2002