Chinese playing cards

Ladies of a Mandarin's family playing a game of cards. Drawing by Thomas Allom (1843).

Playing cards (simplified Chinese: 纸牌; traditional Chinese: 紙牌; pinyin: zhǐpái) were most likely invented in China during the Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279). They were certainly in existence by the Mongol Yuan dynasty (1271-1368).[1][2][3] Chinese use the word pái (牌), meaning "plaque", to refer to both playing cards and tiles.[4] Many early sources are ambiguous, and do not specifically refer to paper pái (cards) or bone pái (tiles); but there is no difference in play between these, as either serves to hide one face from the other players with identical backs.

Many western scholars, like William Henry Wilkinson, Stewart Culin, Thomas F. Carter, and Michael Dummett attribute to the Chinese the invention of playing cards. Michael Dummett also contends that the concept of suits and the idea of trick-taking games were invented in China.[5] Trick-taking games eventually became multi-trick games. These then evolved into the earliest type of rummy games during the eighteenth century. By the end of the monarchy, the vast majority of traditional Chinese card games were of the draw-and-discard or fishing variety. Chinese playing cards have been spread into Southeast Asia by Chinese immigrants.[6]

  1. ^ Lo, Andrew. (2000). The Game of Leaves: An Inquiry into the Origin of Chinese Playing Cards. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, 63(3), 389–406.
  2. ^ Lo, Andrew (2000), The Late Ming Game of Ma Diao, The Playing-Card (XXIX, No. 3), pp. 115–136, The International Playing-Card Society.
  3. ^ Parlett, David. The Chinese "Leaf Game". Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  4. ^ Lo, Andrew (2004) 'China's Passion for Pai: Playing Cards, Dominoes, and Mahjong.' In: Mackenzie, C. and Finkel, I., (eds.), Asian Games: The Art of Contest. New York: Asia Society, pp. 217-231.
  5. ^ Michael Dummett, The Game of Tarot, London, p. 34-39. Carlo Penco (2013). Dummett and the Game of Tarot at Academia.edu. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
  6. ^ Mann, Sylvia (1990). All Cards on the Table. Leinfelden: Jonas Verlag. pp. 200–208.