The joker in the pack

Played with friends, family or in solitude, there are few things as familiar as a pack of cards. Yasha Beresiner explores this form of entertainment, propaganda tool and, sometimes, work of art

- Yasha Beresiner

THE origin of playing cards is lost in the mists of time. They have been attributed to China in the early 9th century—as so many items are when their origin is unknown— and to North Africa, specifically the Mamluks, in the 13th century. Spain likes to claim their introduction to Europe, but early evidence suggests Flanders, France, and Italy as the first countries in which playing cards, as we understand the term today, actually originated.

What is fascinating is the resilience and superstition of the card player, who, through the centuries, would not tolerate changes to the original structure of a pack of cards. From the earliest days, it consisted of four-suit signs and a set number of cards.

The familiar English playing cards, with spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs, originate from France and trace their roots to about 1500. It was the Americans, however, who first adopted the concept of mirror images, which began in Po middle of the 19th century. Players across the pond are also credited with the invention of the Joker and the indices on the corners of the cards—a brilliant concept, as they allowed the player to see which cards he held by the smallest movement of his hand—which led to playing cards in the US being known as ‘squeezers’ during the early period of the 20th century.

As to the Joker, the 53rd card in a pack, it was the additional Best Bower card used in the American game of Yuker that was corrupted to be named Joker and the popular image, in its many manifestations, followed the name.