Naipes Comas - Baraja Española Pedro Comas 1829

8/18/2026

Naipes Comas - Baraja Española Pedro Comas 1829

INTRODUCTION & HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Pedro Comas Sumilla established what would later become Naipes Comas (N.E.G.S.A.) in Mataró in 1797, before relocating to Barcelona in 1810. Despite the firm's enormous influence on the Spanish playing card industry, surprisingly little information survives about its founder or the company’s early years.

In fact, historical documentation and archival sources are so scarce that not even a portrait of Pedro Comas survives. Furthermore, although the company's origins trace back to the late 18th century, the earliest recorded deck dates to 1829. In this post, we showcase a reproduction of that very pack, issued by Comas themselves in 1987 to commemorate their 190th anniversary.

Only two known copies of the original pack are known to exist: a complete 40-card deck held at the Fournier Museum of Playing Cards in Álava, and another at the Museu Frederic Marès in Barcelona, comprising 47 cards and missing the 8 of Swords.

ICONOGRAPHY & DESIGN

The book Testimoni Històric de Naipes Comas describes the style used as "Catalan and Italian". I am unsure of the reason behind this designation, as the illustrations do not adhere to the classic Catalan pattern, nor to any regional Italian variant. That said, we can spot a certain similarity between the pips of cups and batons and the Roxas pattern (Baraja Neoclásica), which in turn gave rise to the Sarde pattern, marking the only connection I can establish with Italian playing cards. Furthermore, it's worth noting that the linework is noticeably simpler than what we see in the the aforementioned Neoclásica.

Moreover, any resemblance to other styles is lost entirely in the court figures, which showcase a completely original artistic direction:

The Knaves are depicted as female figures dressed in contemporary 19th-century fashion rather than the typical medieval or Renaissance garb. Their natural, dynamic poses stand out against the usual stiff or contrived stances.
The Knights show their riders dismounted, giving the set a relaxed, casual feel. This is even more apparent in the suit of Cups, where the horse is seen grazing.
The Kings are seated in armchairs—rather than the usual upright stance—with cheerful expressions on their faces. The presence of decorative drapery framing the background across all suits is also quite striking.

It's also worth highlighting the Ace of Coins, which features a crowned male bust in profile. This motif was used across countless decks produced by the maker over the years, to the point of becoming one of its hallmark designs. Other interesting elements include the presence of putti on the fours of Coins, Swords, and Batons, contrasting with the 4 of Cups, which depicts the Angel of the Last Judgment blowing a trumpet. On this latter card, we also find Pedro Comas’s signature alongside the inscription of the year 1829.

As noted above, the only surviving original copies are a 40-card pack and another lacking the 8 of Swords. We can therefore infer that this card is a modern recreation based on the artwork of the remaining suit; that said, they did not merely trace the 9 while deleting the transverse scimitar. These are deliberately rendered drawings, as the small linework imperfections are not duplicated between this card and the rest.

MATERIALS & FINISH

The cards feature a smooth satin finish and a very pleasant tactile feel, noticeably more refined than other Naipes Comas decks from both the same period and later years. This comes as no surprise, as it is a special commemorative edition celebrating a major milestone for the company.

The pack is housed in a matchbox-style slipcase, featuring a rigid plastic inner tray and an illustrated cardboard outer sleeve with informative text. In addition, two title cards are included with text in both Spanish and English.

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Lastly, it's worth noting that this deck was reissued on at least one occasion (in 2008), albeit with an advertising back design and wrapped solely in cellophane, with no box. Given the significance of this pack for the Catalan firm, other print runs may well have been produced, though I have been unable to verify this.