Title
The Invention of Playing Cards in China and their Arrival in Europe: Their Influence on the Development of Mahjong,New
Delivery time: 8-12 business days (International)
This book contains 37 coloured illustrations and takes us through the history of playing cards from their invention in China to their appearance in Europe in the 13th Century. It describes how the development of paper playing cards was made possible by the Chinese invention of paper in 105 AD and how wood block printing simplified the manufacture of cards. Then paper money was introduced in the 11th Century followed by the use of monetary denominations for the 4 suits of cards. There are colour illustrations of Ming Dynasty bank notes showing their similarity to early playing cards. Then we are taken to the 13th Century when Marco Polo and other Italian merchants travelled to China on the Silk Road and saw people playing card games. They took the new invention back to Europe but, because they could neither speak nor read Chinese well, they misinterpreted many of its features. Kings, queens, knights and pages appeared on European cards instead of the Chinese images of strings of coins and popular outlaws who rebelled against the government of the Northern Song Dynasty (9601127). The Chinese idea of money cards largely disappeared in Europe with the suit of coins in Tarot and Italian cards being the sole survivor. Meanwhile in China one of the 4 suits was abandoned and solid blocks in the form of Mahjong tiles appeared in 1864, but the paper cards from which they were derived continue in use today. Colour pictures of early Chinese cards and bank notes as well as early Mahjong tiles are accompanied by explanations which help the reader understand the history of playing cards. Links of 16th Century Ma Diao cards to the Tarot suits and to the 5 Chinese and ancient Greek elements are shown in charts and tables. The Chinese names of the Major Arcana are also listed with astrological connections.
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Shipping & Returns
Shipping
We ship your order within 2–3 business days for USA deliveries and 5–8 business days for international shipments. Once your package has been dispatched from our warehouse, you'll receive an email confirmation with a tracking number, allowing you to track the status of your delivery.
Returns
To facilitate a smooth return process, a Return Authorization (RA) Number is required for all returns. Returns without a valid RA number will be declined and may incur additional fees. You can request an RA number within 15 days of the original delivery date. For more details, please refer to our Return & Refund Policy page.
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This warranty strictly does not cover damages that arose from negligence, misuse, wear and tear, or not in accordance with product instructions (dropping the product, etc.).
Warranty
We provide a 2-year limited warranty, from the date of purchase for all our products.
If you believe you have received a defective product, or are experiencing any problems with your product, please contact us.
This warranty strictly does not cover damages that arose from negligence, misuse, wear and tear, or not in accordance with product instructions (dropping the product, etc.).
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Your payment information is processed securely. We do not store credit card details nor have access to your credit card information.
We accept payments with :
Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Paypal, Shopify Payments, Shop Pay and more.