54 Portraits of Chinese Emperors – Historic Playing Cards – Collectible Deck

A rare and culturally significant historic Chinese playing card deck, featuring 54 emperors spanning more than four millennia of Chinese imperial history.
Published as part of the Serial Poker of Forbidden City, this deck presents portraits from ancient artworks and traditional iconography — from the first emperor Shihuangdi Ying Zheng to the last Qing ruler Puyi.

Each card displays a different emperor with period-appropriate attire and stylistic references, making this set both an educational object and a striking visual archive.

🔹 Theme: Emperors of Past Dynasties (54 portraits)
🔹 Publisher: The Palace Museum / Forbidden City series
🔹 Format: Full 54-card poker deck
🔹 Back design: Gold dragon pattern with imperial wave motif
🔹 Box Size: approx. 9.6 × 7.2 × 2.4 cm
🔹 Condition: Cards like new; outer box shows wear and tears as pictured

🪶 Collector’s Note

This Forbidden City Poker edition is a prized collectible for enthusiasts of Asian history and culturally themed playing cards.
The meticulous selection of emperor portraits, paired with traditional artistic styles, creates a deck that feels like a pocket-sized museum exhibition.
Increasingly difficult to find in complete condition, it stands as a fascinating bridge between historic Chinese portraiture and the world of specialty poker decks.