17th Century OR 18th Century Indian/Persian hand painted Ganjifa playing card silver amulet and chain. The earliest origins of Ganjifa cards remain uncertain, but cards as they are known today are believed to have originated in Persia and became popular in India under the Mughal emperors in the 16th century. The term has been used at times in many countries throughout the Middle East and western Asia. The first known reference can be found in a 15th-century Arabic text, written by the Egyptian historian Ibn Taghribirdi (died 1470). In his history of Egypt he mentions how the Sultan Al-Malik Al-Mu'ayyad played kanjafah for money when he was an emir. A key reference comes from an early-16th century biography of Bâbur, the founder of the Mughal dynasty. Another reference from much the same period comes from a work by the Persian poet Ahli Shirazi (died 1535). In his poem 'Rubaiyat-e-Ganjifa' there is a short verse for each of the 96 cards in the 8-suited pack. When Edward Terry visited India in the first quarter of the seventeenth century, he saw ganjifa cards often. (Size: See second photo for measurement.) Photos are part of the description representing the condition report. Pangaea Auctions urges Bidder's to view all attached photos.

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