Russian Playing Cards Inspired By Ancient Mayan Art
Apparently, one of the few playing card sets available in Soviet Russia was themed to ancient Mayan iconography. I love the designs, some of which, like this King of Hearts, I can recognize as taking inspiration from real, specific Mayan artworks. For instance, the "King" here, ironically, looks an awful lot like a detail from Yaxchilan Lintel 24, which actually depicts a woman—Lady Xoc, one of the most powerful female figures in Mayan history.
And that rope she's holding in the card image? In the Lintel version you can see that:
A) the rope is studded with little blades and
B) that Lady Xoc is pulling it through a hole in her tongue.
In fact, the entire Lintel depicts a religious ritual. Lady Xoc's royal blood is collected and burned as an offering. Her husband, King Shield Jaguar the Great, stands over her, holding a torch. Cool stuff.
Pictures of Yaxchilan Lintel 24, now at the British Museum, after the cut.
