This is a Double Deck Pronaco S.A. de C.V. “Naipe Tipo Maya” Playing Cards, c. 1991 - SEALED!
Rare double deck of cards made by Pronaco of Mexico City, featuring designs by Mayan artists. The cards are accompanied by two of the same booklet, one in Spanish and another in English.
The World of Playing Cards website has this description:
“Maya Playing Cards ('Naipe Tipo Maya') manufactured in Mexico by Pronaco S.A. de C.V., Georgia 167 Col Napoles Mexico 03810 D.F. 1991. Using a bark paper background (Amate) the central space area of each card has been used to place the hieroglyphics or images corresponding to days, months, gods or important characters. The back design represents a stucco piece forming part of a death offering discovered in the tomb located inside the pyramid known as 'The Temple of the Inscriptions" at Palenque, Chiapas.
“With their imagination, skill and aesthetic perfection, the designs of Mayan artists shown here give a general idea of their enormous artistic and cultural potential. Mayan glyphs and artistic representations have been incorporated into the cards which also maintain the familiar numerical characteristics of Anglo-American playing cards. In addition to the Arabic numbering, each card also contains the Mayan equivalent of playing card suits and simple Mayan numbering. . . . “
