Playing cards were invented by the chinese before
AD1000. They reached ‘Europe’ around1360 not directly from china but from the ‘Mameluke
Empire of Egypt’.The history of suitmarks demonstrates a fascinating interplay
between words,shapes and concepts. The Mameluke suits were goblets, gold
coins,swords and polo-sticks.
Polo being than unknown in Europe these were transformed
into botans or staves which together with swords,cups and coins are traditional
suitmarks of Italian and Spanish cards.
Fifteenth century German card makers experimented with suits
vaguely based on Italian ones eventually settling for acorns,leaves. Hearts and
bells (hawk-bells) which still remain in use.
Around 1480 the French started producing playing cardsby
means of stencils and simplified the german shapes into trefle(clover),pique(pike-heads),coeur(hearts)
and carreau (paving tiles). English card makers also used these shapes but
varied the names.Spade(pique) may reflect the earlier use of spanish suitmarks
from espadas meaning swords and clubs are what the Spanish suit of staves
actually looks like. Diamond is not only the shape of paving tiles but may
perpetuate connotations of wealth from the older suit of coins.
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