Four Card Games that you Definitely Haven't Heard of

These playing cards originate from Edo period Japan between 1603 and 1868. Hand-painted and lettered in India ink, silver paper was glued onto their other side. Of the total 200 cards, half depict a portrait and were inscribed with the name of a particular poet, 100 in total, along with the beginning of a poem. The remaining 100 feature the corresponding continuation of each poem. The selections were taken from a traditional collection of poems (Ogura Hyakin Isshu), compiled in the 13th century. To this day, the game remains a beloved card game.

This German card game was printed around 1550 and is unique among the games of the world: specifically, it is divided into suits of monks, nuns, priests and cardinals.
Already in the first European card games, cards were assigned one of four different symbols; these symbols were also known as suits or simply "colours". The most well-known system today is the so-called French system, with suits of hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs. The colours of the symbols, for example red and black, are not important for all card games. 
Our monastery card game is such a game where its symbols are not coloured in at all.

Playing cards with nuns and monks? Who could have thought this up? Perhaps in this case clever inhabitants of monasteries were at work: instead of employing "immoral" suits and colours, they played with those of their own invention. Conceivably, it is also possible that supporters of the Reformation also used these cards. 

Just like this medal, which depending on your perspective, portrays a cardinal or a jester, these cards can be regarded as a satire of the Catholic clergy. In the end however, we cannot make out who was behind these mysterious cards.

In the 18th century, traders from places both close or further abroad visited Augsburg. Not all of these individuals would have been able to understand the local Swabian dialect. French was, however, a language that was largely spoken or understood throughout Europe.

Were these playing cards a means of expanding vocabulary, that, for example, could be bought from this street vendor? Perhaps they served as souvenirs that visitors to Augsburg could take home to remember the city. In any event, this card game acted as an important reminder of the Swabian dialect, which could be of use for future stays in the city.

Chiefly remembered for her sculptures, Niki de Saint Phalle was a significant modern artist. Inspired by the figures that appear on tarot cards, the French-American artist developed her own colourful designs for a tarot card game. In doing this, de Saint Phalle reflected on the centuries-old characters portrayed on individual cards.
This card game was produced in 2002, the last year of the artist's life.

In Garavicchio, Italy, starting in the 1970s, Niki de Saint Phalle began constructing an entire garden landscape with giant tarot sculptures, some of which could be walked-through. She even installed an apartment that she set up in a larger than life figure of the Empress. Since 1998 the garden can be visited in the homeland where tarot originated.

Already in the 7th century, there were playing cards in China. In Europe, however, we first can trace them back to the 14th century. In their initial period, card games were a pastime for nobles and scholars all over the world. Playing cards would first need to be aided by printing technology before they trickled down into lower classes in Europe. These playing cards manufactured with woodcuts were discovered in a church in Muri (Switzerland). They show that through advanced printing technology, playing cards were long since exclusively a pastime of the aristocracy.

One could also pose the question: why do humans play at all? Isn't playing essentially a meaningless and pointless activity? At any rate this is definitely not the case when it comes to sociability: playing cards bring together people of all ages, and in some cases it can even overcome linguistic barriers. Playing games together can make getting to know people easier or strengthen the cohesion of a group.

Even if card games were once a phenomenon for courtly festivals and scholarly circles, today they are distributed throughout society, bringing entertainment to lives of many people.