Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-13
PLAYING CARDS OF JAPAN.
Curious Bits Of Pasteboard That Amuss an
Oriental People.

Curious Bits Of Pasteboard That Amuss an
Oriental People.
TIVE PLAYING CARDS USED IN JAPAN
= are the most curious in the world. No
evidence exists that they were originally de-
rived from the same source as those Of China,
India and western Europe. They are oblong
pieces Of pasteboard with black backs, and the
designs on their faces are stenciled in bright
colors and afterward covered with a varnish
which makes them shiny. In point Of size
they are remarkable. being only q little more
than two inches long by one inch broad.
They are forty-nine in number and are d.
vided into twelve suits Of four cards each. The
odd one is q tribe smaller than the rest Of the
pack, with plain white face, and IL used as a
Joker" All the others are covered with en-
blems that represent twelve different flowers or
other things. appropriate to the months Of the
year. Each one is also marked with a charac-
ter or letter dsnotiBg the vegetable that repre-
sents the month. The only month that has no
flower symbol is August, and that suit is marked
by mountains and warm-looking skies.
THE CARDS BY MONTHS.
January 10 represented by pine trees.
which, on two Of the cards, are shown against
lurid sky; the third one OF that suit has a
grayish background, which throws the trees
into strong relief and the fourth has setting
sundeeked with light clouds, the pines barely in
dicated in front of it., and the greater part of
the card covered with the figure of q huge.
white-bodied. red-eyed stork.
February displays as its emblem o plum
blossom. the four cards devoted to this month
bearing its flower in various positions
March has red cherry blossom and April
the hanging tendrils Of the wisteria vine. On
one Of the cards Of this suit is q wee yellow
bird. which is flying across its surface under a
crimson cloud.
For May there are beautiful rainbows sprine-
ing from long. spiky leaves. One card shows In
one OF Its corners part of dock or pier. and
also the water out of which the flower is lifting
its lovely head.
June is represented by blood-red peonies.
over one of which two yellow butterflies are
lowering.
On July's cards star-shaped leaves. some vel
low, some red, and some black, are scattered.
On one OF the cards belonging to this suit .
aeef Is represented standing under the
branches OF this strangely hued tree This is
the only figure which recalls in any way the
embiems used on cards belonging to other ma
TONS as on one Of the Chinese cards is found
either deer or else Chinese characters which
nave been translated to mean This IL deer 80
AUGUST HAS NO FLOWERS.
August Is represented by four pictures of
grass-covered mountains, in three Of which the
hills are sharply defined against clouded blue
sky, and in the fourth the sun, looking hot and
suitry. beams down on treefess hill. Three
birds fly across the sky on one.
September bears the mikado's flower. n VEL
low and red chrysanthemum; October, a maple
tree with red or yellow leaves, and on one card
Is a yellow boar trotting OF toward the SYM
bolic tree.
November shows on one Of its cards willow
sharply outlined against a leaden sky. The
willows on fellow card look wind.tossed. and
a long-tailed bird Skins across the heavens. A
third card is covered with inky clouds. torrents
of rain and strange zigzags resembling forked
lightning. The fourth card Of this suit bears a
quaint figure Of man rushing through the
storm under the willow trees and dropping his
sandals in his haste, his head covered with a
huge yellow umbrella; streaks of lightning
surround the little figure aud the storm of rail-,
is well depicted.
December bears the imperial Japanese plant
kiri. and over one Of these flowers hovers a
beautiful red-crested, silver-winged pheasant
An infinite variety of games are PLAYED with
these cards, as there is a shade Of difference in
each one of each set, and in some games each
has . separate value. The favorite game in
Japan at the present moment is very like
casino. in which any card Of q set NAV take
any other, but all have their own values in the
final count.