Spanish Four Empires deck by Clemente Roxas, Madrid, circa 1805

This item is a historical Spanish playing card deck known as the 'Four Empires' deck, published in Madrid by Clemente Roxas around 1805. The collection consists of 46 out of the original 48 cards, lacking the 9 and jack of coins.

The deck features traditional Spanish suits with pintas, where each suit corresponds to a specific historical empire: coins represent America, cups represent Spain, clubs represent Arabia, and swords represent Rome. The cards are defined by fine, lavish hand-colouring and intricate engravings on the single-figure court cards and aces, with additional decorative elements added to the four-pip cards. The cards measure 87 x 55 mm, possess square corners, and lack indices.

The reverse sides feature a red starburst pattern. The quality of the hand-colouring and fine detail, such as specific patterns on clothing and floral accents, distinguishes this deck as exceptionally ornate compared to other known examples from the period.