CHESS AND PLAYING-CARDS. 



919 



The origin and significance of Korean playing-cards are revealed 

 both by their designs and by their name. The lat- 

 ter, htoH-tji/en, is the Chinese tatt t,sm, meaning "fight- 

 ing tablets," tsin being a narrow slip intended to 

 write on. Examining the reverse of the cards (fig. 

 218) the device is seen to represent the feather of 

 an arrow. Comparison of the eighty cards with the 

 eighty arrowderived lots shows their practical iden 

 tity, and we may conclude that tlie cards are highly 

 conventionalized shaftments of arrows, retaining in 

 their suit marks the same symbolism as that of the 

 quiver of arrows from which they were derived. The 

 Japanese niikuji, or "temple-lots" (No. 68), no doubt 

 illustrate, both in form and material, an earlier 

 stage of the present paper cards. Mr. Wilkinson 

 informed me that the Koreans say that the "tens" 

 or "General" cards once bore pictures, more or less 

 carefully drawn, of the various emblems portrayed, 

 of which the present scrawls are declared to be cor- 

 ruptions. This would seem to carry back, directly, 

 the cards toward the type represented by tlie carved 

 gambling-stick (No. 76 h). 



Of the Korean games with cards, which are de- 

 scribed in detail in " Korean Games," the most com- 

 mon one is similar to the American Indian game of 

 Straw (p. 804). Its name is Yet-pang- matig-i,^ 



The cards are shuffled, as is customary, by the 

 dealer, who divides the pack into two parts. These 

 he holds at the top in each hand, drawing the ends 

 of the cards, which lay side by side, through each 

 other; or, the cards are drawn out near the bottom 

 and put upon the top. 



One pack is used in this game and any number may 

 play. The gamekeeper, Moul-tjyou^' deals a card 

 face down to each player, including himself, always 

 drawing the cards from the bottom instead of from 

 the top. The players have all put down their wagers, 

 which have been covered by corresponding amounts 

 by the Moul-tjyou. The object of the game is to 

 get two or three cards upon which the sum of the 



Fig. 218. 



EEVEKSE OF KOREAN 

 PLAYING-CARD SHOW- 

 ING AEROW FEATHER. 



Length, 7| inches. 



From Korean Gsai«s, 



' Yet-pang-mang-i {yet is a "sweetmeat," pang-mang-i a "pestle" or "club") is the 

 most popular game Sometimes the same player holds the bank for three rounds, 

 sometimes for five. The game is a favorite with the Korean sharper, who will 

 abstract an extra card or, if dealer, will place a tjyang and a kou (nine) where they 

 will fall to himself. — Wilkinson. 



'^Chinese, mat chii, "things ruler." 



