By Country

Dondorf: ‘Jeu des Fleurs’

Dondorf no.332: ‘Jeu des Fleurs’ French edition

Early Anglo-French Cards

Cards produced in Rouen during the sixteenth century. It was cards like these which were imported to England and are the ancestors of the modern 'Anglo-American' pattern.

Éditions Philibert

Éditions Philibert published an outstanding series of exotic, artistic playing cards in Paris from 1954 to 1960

Épinal Tarot

The woodcuts were produced by Francois Georgin (1801-1863), a famous engraver during the Napoleonic period, retaining the composition and general features of the Tarot de Marseille.

F. d’Alphonse Arnoult

Finely engraved deck by F. d’Alphonse Arnoult (Paris), c.1860. 52 cards.

Familles Provinciales

Jeu des 7 Familles Provinciales printed by Nisse, Croix-Lille, c.1930

Film Stars

Film Stars from the 1960s with photography by Sam Levin.

Filmstars by Publistar, 1962

“Filmstars” deck published by Publistar, printed by La Ducale (France), 1962

Set of medieval playing cards has 52 cards with King, Queen, Knave and numeral cards from one to ten in each of the four suits of dog collars, tethers (for the hounds), nooses (for birds or small game), and hunting horns. These suits refer to the activity of hunting, as practised by the nobility.

France Royale Bridge

“France Royale” Bridge Playing Cards by Piatnik depicts named historical characters from France’s royal past

French Costumes

The French taste for elegant, well engraved costume playing cards started during the early 19th century. O. Gibert of Paris produced a series of such fashion packs, or packs depicting historical characters.

Gayant, 1793

French Revolution playing cards published by Gayant in Paris, 1793

Geneviève Lirola

Stylish modern designs by the painter, decorator and ceramist Geneviève Lirola, featuring unity of colours in each suit.

Genoese pattern

The design is purely 'Parisian' but the colouring is green, red, yellow and black. Belgium has taken this pattern for general use.

Glorious Russia

‘Glorious Russia’ playing cards made in France by Grimaud, c.1995

Grand Jeu Lenormand

A pack of 54 playing-cards for fortune-telling each card containing a number of zodiacal, classical and modern images with a miniature card of the conventional type at top left and a letter of the alphabet at top right.

Grimaud Spanish pattern

Grimaud Spanish pattern, c.1880

Héron French tarot

French edition of the ‘Bourgeois’ Tarot by Héron

History of Court Cards

The court cards in English packs of playing cards derive from models produced by Pierre Marechal in Rouen around 1565. A pack of such cards is preserved in the museum at Rouen.

Jeu D’Aluettes - Boéchat Frères c.1950

Jeu D’Aluettes manufactured by Boéchat Frères, Bordeaux, c.1950 with archaic Spanish features mixed with the standard Catalan pattern

Jeu de Bataille

“Jeu de Bataille” card game published by Éditions Willeb, Paris. The court cards represent characters from different nationalities or ethnic groups who are presumably engaged in battle

Jeu de Cartes Napoléon

Deck created by Matéja celebrating the bicentenary of the birth of Napoleon (1769-1969)

Jeu de Costumes Historiques

These cards are from neatly etched plates, and are carefully coloured. The court cards present full-length figures in character costumes.

Jeu de l’an 2

“Jeu de l’an 2” by Grimaud is a facsimile of French Revolutionary cards first published by Veuve Mouton in c.1793

Jeu de la Géographie

“Jeu de Géographie” educational playing cards etched by Stefano Della Bella (1610-1664) and published by Henry le Gras, c.1644.

Jeu des 7 Familles by Jeux et Jouets Français

“Jeu des 7 Familles” by Jeux et Jouets Français of Paris who took over Mauclair-Dacier in 1904

Jeu des Drapeaux c.1816

“Jeu des Drapeaux” commemorating Napoleon’s greatest battles, c.1816

Jeu des Quatre Saisons de l’An II

“Jeu des Quatre Saisons de l’An II” facsimile of French Revolution deck originally published by J. B. Debeine (Reims) 1793.

Jeu des Rois de France

This beautifully engraved and pleasing deck designed in 1856 has French Kings and consorts as the Kings and Queens, with noble attendants as the Jacks, all dressed in magnificent period costumes.

Jeu Grotesque

Jeu Grotesque was first published in France c.1800.

Jeu Louis XV

B.P. Grimaud of Paris issued this very ornate costume deck called “Jeu Louis XV No.1502” in c.1895. It has been so popular that it has been re-published on numerous occasions and is still available today in modern re-prints or facsimiles.

Jeu Moyen Age

Quénioux believed that aesthetic feelings are the highest values: “C’est précisément cet amour de l’artisan pour le travail qu’il accomplit, la satisfaction intime qu’il en éprouve, qui ont donné naissance à tous les arts et qui ont fait dire que l’art est la joie dans le travail”.