Large silver playing cards box

Charming silver box which holds three decks of playing cards. Each side of the box has a glass panel that holds a card and the interior of the box is lined in wood.

Playing cards were invented by the Chinese before AD1000 and reached Europe in the 14th century, probably via Persia and Egypt.  Card games became extremely popular and while they were played in all levels of society, a market emerged for making luxury playing cards appealing to the prosperous middle classes. By consequence, the salons of Victorian Britain started to feature decorative silver card boxes to further demonstrate their affluence.