By Silk Road to Middle Asia: Persian Ganjafa

Case : 023

The playing cards may have been acquired through trade in the Silk Road in the 13th century from China. The earliest origins of the cards remain uncertain, but Ganjafa cards as they are known today are believed to have originated in Persia. Persian cards, known as  Ganjafa or Janjifah have eight suits. The first syllable is attributed to the Persian word ganj meaning treasure. Ganjafa cards are rectangular and traditionally hand-painted by artisans. The game became popular at the Mughal court, and lavish sets were made, from materials such as precious stone-inlaid ivory or tortoise shell. The game later spread to the general public, whereupon cheaper sets would be made from materials such as wood, palm leaf, stiffened cloth or pasteboard In Kuwait, the word Janjifah has become a general term and so is applied to the internationally known French deck. In western, the first information about Ganjafa is only published latterly on Magasin Pittoresque in 1846.