evolution of cards

Leaf Games : Tang Dynasty China - Played like dominoes. - Early cards made from pasteboards. - Dominoes made from ivory, bone, bamboo or ebony

Mamluk Playing Cards : Mamluk conquests in Sicily and Spain - Hand drawn and hand painted. - Gilded in gold and other expensive pigments. - Only affordable for the wealthy and noble. - Four suits : cups, pentacles, swords, polo sticks - Geometric patterns that represents Islamic art.

Early cards in Europe - Dispersed throughout Europe by 1377 - Hand crafted and painted - only affordable for wealthy

Latin Suits : Sicily and Spain - has similarity to tarot card suits

1418 : Printed Woodcut decks, Germany

1450 : Mechanical printing Press invented, Germany - Introduced mass production of cards - Became easily accessible for all people

1300s : Introduction of Cards in Europe

8th Century : Appearance of Cards, Tang Dynasty China

200 BC : Paper and Pulp making process : Han Dynasty China

Tarot cards : Tarocci - used for playing and divination

1377 : Playing cards in workdays prohibited in France

1379 : Card games prohibited in St. Gallen, Switzerland.

1423 : Burning of card decks at St. Bernardine of Siena

1441 : importing of woodcut printed cards banned

1549 : Cards Introduced in Japan by Jesuit Missionary

Hanafuda : Japan - reflects Japanese culture - no numbers due to prohibition - popular for gambling and matching games

Mahjong : Myth of Confucius inventing Mahjong in 500 BC, China

Mahjong : 1800s China - Oldest record of Mahjong found in 1800s. - Tiles traditionally hand-crafted from ivory and bones and backed with bamboo and jades

1922 : Mahjong introduced to the United States - Later evolved and introduced in arcade, computer games, etc.

1993 : Magic : The Gathering became the successor of modern card games

2014 : Hearthstone : Heroes of Warcraft brought card games into digital realm

1931 : Legalisation of gambling, Nevada

Prohibition on Cards

1980s : Rise of Internet