AMERICA PLAYING CARDS Arts of Pre-Columbian America (Code: g00802)

This deck, published by the Heraclio Fournier company of Vitoria, Spain, is one which is both beautiful and painstakingly researched.

Each of the four suits represents a different geographic region of the Americas, with the court cards depicting people from various tribes/peoples of that region:

• Spades: North East Indians - Eskimoes, Atapases, Selishs, Tinglits, Haidas, etc.
• Diamonds: Indians of the Prairies - Iroquies, Algonkins, Mohicans, Siuxs, Pueblo, Comanches, etc.
• Hearts: Aztec Empire - Mayas, Toltecs, Chichimecs, and peoples of Central America and the Antillas.
• Clubs: Incan Empire - Chibchas, Quimbayas, Collas and peoples of South America.

The Queen of Hearts - "Aztec Princess with a feathered crown, earring, necklace, pectoral and gold bracelets. Embroidered cloak attached to the shoulder with feathered fibule. She is holding in her left hand a bunch of flowers from Xochimilco."
The Jack of Clubs - "Maya Amanta (wizard) with a helmet with a tuft of feathers. He is wearing a colored mantlet. In his right hand a feathered mosaic round shield, and a Condor, King of the Andes, in his left hand."
The King of Diamonds - "Siux Chief with the typical colored eagle's feathers on his head. The stems are fixed to a leather helmet and buffalo horns. The costume is of embroidered befringed leather. He is holding in his right hand the calumet, and in the left a ceremonial spear adorned with feathers."
The Ace of Spades - "The decorating motif of this card is a painting with anthropomoph themes executed by means of the eye technique of the Tinglits.
The Joker - Map of North America, complete with spades and diamonds apparently indicating where various peoples/tribes were located. The other joker has a corresponding map of Central and South America.
The Card back - "Theological theme. A zoomorph god, surrounded by snakes, holds with his paws two feathered snakes, similar aptitude to the Viracocha of Tihuanaco's Gate of the Sun and to the Pachamac vase."

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