Description:

**Originally Listed At $200**

East Asia, China & Japan, ca. early to mid-20th century CE. This group includes 13 cigarette cards featuring characters from Chinese opera and history, alongside a single Japanese playing card featuring Emperor Sutoku from the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu. The Ogura Hyakunin Isshu is a renowned anthology of 100 traditional Japanese waka poems used in the card game karuta, in which players match the latter half of a poem (recited aloud) to the corresponding card with the first half. The Emperor Sutoku card is presented in a removable wood frame with a plastic sheet cover. Chinese cigarette cards are collectible trading cards that were originally included in cigarette packs in China, similar to those produced in the West in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These cards often featured various themes such as historical figures, celebrities and traditional Chinese art or cultural motifs. Size of framed card: 3.2" L x 2.3" W (8.1 cm x 5.8 cm); cigarette cards: 2.5" L x 1.5" W (6.4 cm x 3.8 cm)

Provenance: private Thousand Oaks, California, USA collection, acquired 1970s to 2000s

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

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#193085

  • Condition: Staining and discoloration to the surfaces of the cigarette cards, but intact. Playing card is in a removable frame and has some discoloration and fading, but also well preserved.

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Shipping

Auction House will ship, at Buyer's expense

February 8, 2026 10:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000