 |
|
More
on Playing Card History > |
 |
| It
is not clear where cards were first invented, but evidence
suggests that cards were most likely invented in China, where
paper was invented. The documented history of playing cards
began in the Tenth Century, when the Chinese began using paper
dominoes by shuffling and dealing them in new games.
In Europe, the earliest authentic references to playing cards
date from 1377. In those days, cards were hand-painted
and only the very wealthy could afford them. Cards entered
Europe from the Islamic empire, where cups and swords were
added as suit symbols as well as court cards. These
symbols were replaced in Europe by representations of courtly
human beings: kings, knights, and footservants. To this
day, packs of playing cards from Italy do not have queens,
nor do packs from Spain, Germany, Switzerland, and others.
The cards we use today are derived from the French, who gave
us the suits of spades, clubs, diamonds, and hearts and the
use of simple shapes and flat colors. |
|
