Great Mogul Paper Mini 1880 Blue

A charming example of a miniature playing card deck, commonly referred to as a "Patience" or travel deck, dating from the late 19th century, circa 1880-1900. This deck is representative of the prolific output of Belgian playing card manufacturers catering to diverse domestic and export markets during this era. The Cards: The deck comprises miniature playing cards measuring just 4.5 x 3.2 cm (approx. 1.8 x 1.25 inches). They are printed on cardstock with square corners. The faces feature a simplified version of the standard Anglo-American/French pattern, notably including single-headed court cards, a common feature for the period, especially in smaller or less expensive decks. Back Design and Wrapper: The cards feature a simple, one-color geometric/floral back pattern printed in BLUE. The deck is housed in its original folded paper wrapper, printed in a matching color ink. This wrapper displays the characteristic "Great Mogul" branding – an illustration of a figure in vaguely Eastern attire within an ornamental oval frame – and clearly states the origin: "MADE IN BELGIUM". Purpose and Context: Produced in large quantities in Belgium (likely Turnhout), these miniature decks were versatile. Their primary uses were for playing Patience (solitaire), as easily portable travel decks, or as novelties and possibly children's toys. The generic "Great Mogul" theme provided an element of popular exoticism common in consumer goods of the time, distinguishing them from regionally specific decks like the Harmsen Verwey & Dunlop Ceki cards previously catalogued, despite sharing a likely manufacturer and era. This deck is a companion to the [Red] version also in this collection.