In the Middle Ages, playing cards began to take on divination capabilities, which marked a significant shift in the use of the cards. By the 15 th century, playing cards could be found throughout the continent’s inland trade routes. However, printing presses and stencils eventually helped to simplify the patterns on the cards and made them more accessible to a wider audience.

Hand-painted and elaborately designed, playing cards were originally a luxury good popular among the wealthy. But most historians agree they suddenly showed up by the end of the 1300s, possibly introduced by Crusade-era soldiers.Įuropeans loved these cards. There’s wide speculation on how playing cards eventually made it to Europe, playing card historian Peter Endebrock told Atlas Obscura in 2020. Others were “money cards” with suits inspired by old Chinese currency. At this point, some cards had images of characters from popular novels. Either way, these cards were originally hand-painted on paper or parchment.įast-forward a few hundred years to the Ming Dynasty-which lasted from 1368-1644 AD-and you’ll find playing cards gaining steam. Some historians, however, say playing cards took off during the 10 th century. References to “ domino cards” existed as early as the T’ang Dynasty, which lasted from 618-907 AD. It’s unclear when and where playing cards were invented, but they were popularized in China more than a thousand years ago. This got us thinking-what’s the history of playing cards anyway? China A.D. As a member of the mouse-eared family, Nat Geo saw over four million new followers scurry to our TikTok account, mostly to trade these digital cards. When The Walt Disney Company celebrated its 100 th birthday last month, everyone got to take part in this century’s-long tradition with TikTok’s new digital playing card game. From the hand-painted cards of T’ang Dynasty China to paper-and-plastic Pokémon trading cards, the history of playing cards spans cultures, epochs, and continents. In a world filled with endless entertainment, some of the simplest and most enduring sources of amusement can be found in a deck of playing cards.įor centuries, these unassuming game pieces have held a special place in the hearts and hands of people across the globe.

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