This information from page of Bob Lancaster
http://members.aol.com/RSLancastr/blgupc/blgupc.htm
AMERICA PLAYING CARDS (Arts of Pre-Columbian America)
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 deck comes with a booklet containing brief descriptions of the peoples
depicted on the cards, as well as detailed descriptions of the costumes worn by each of
the court cards, including references to source materials which inspired each piece of
each costume!
The detailed notes in the booklet were written by the man who also drew the
cards, Teodoro N. Miciano, "Professor of San Fernando High School of Fine Arts,
Madrid".
Cards:
- 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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