Playing cards arrived in Europe in the late 14th century, and decks
differed greatly depending on where they were produced. There were
inconsistent numbers of cards and design, although all decks had suits
made up of court cards (now usually called face cards) and numbered
cards. Eventually, as card-playing in Europe became more widespread, the
decks were mass-produced with stencils and always included 52 cards,
the same number a deck includes now.
It was the French card-makers in the late 16th century who standardized
the suits of spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs and designated the
four kings as David, Alexander, Charlemagne, and Caesar. But this designation ended in the late
18th century and from then on, the kings in decks of cards have
represented no specific person, any more than the kings on a chessboard
stand for illustrious royals of the past.
LIKE & SHARE!
No comments:
Post a Comment