Mongol Playing Cards
Mongol Playing Cards with courts in traditional costume.
Beautifully illustrated Mongol playing cards made by Piatnik & Söhne AG, Wien, 1973, with courts in traditional costume. The deel, or kaftan, is the Mongolian traditional costume. It is a long, loose gown cut in one piece with a high collar and overlaps at the front. The deel is girdled with a sash. Each ethnic group living in Mongolia has its own deel design distinguished by cut, colour, and trimming. The Culture of Mongolia is a mix of Buddhism and old Soviet, and the Mongol nomadic way of life with influences from Tibet and China. Mongols have a lot of epic heroes from ancient times.
By Rex Pitts (1940-2021)
Member since January 30, 2009
Rex's main interest was in card games, because, he said, they were cheap and easy to get hold of in his early days of collecting. He is well known for his extensive knowledge of Pepys games and his book is on the bookshelves of many.
His other interest was non-standard playing cards. He also had collections of sheet music, music CDs, models of London buses, London Transport timetables and maps and other objects that intrigued him.
Rex had a chequered career at school. He was expelled twice, on one occasion for smoking! Despite this he trained as a radio engineer and worked for the BBC in the World Service.
Later he moved into sales and worked for a firm that made all kinds of packaging, a job he enjoyed until his retirement. He became an expert on boxes and would always investigate those that held his cards. He could always recognize a box made for Pepys, which were the same as those of Alf Cooke’s Universal Playing Card Company, who printed the card games. This interest changed into an ability to make and mend boxes, which he did with great dexterity. He loved this kind of handicraft work.
His dexterity of hand and eye soon led to his making card games of his own design. He spent hours and hours carefully cutting them out and colouring them by hand.
Related Articles
Woodblock and Stencil Jack of Clubs
A limited edition art print of the Jack of Clubs 1984 woodblock joker.
Woodblock and Stencil Jack of Hearts
A limited edition art print of the Jack of Hearts 1984 woodblock joker.
Woodblock and Stencil Queen of Clubs
A limited edition art print of the Queen of Clubs 1984 woodblock joker.
Woodblock and Stencil Joker
A limited edition art print of the 1984 woodblock joker.
Marmite
Fifty-Four images celebrating a UK savoury spread, that has been around one hundred and twenty two y...
Film Noir
A deck of 55 cards, celebrating hard boiled heroes, wise-cracking women, mean streets, guns and gums...
Science Fiction
A deck of 55 cards, celebrating a time when Science Fiction truly was, Science Fiction.
Feh Schnapskarten
Colourful promotional pack for Feh household and toilet papers.
Pin-Ups
A deck of 55 cards celebrating a golden age of cheeky, naughty, bold and curvy ladies in film.
Classic Movie Posters
A deck of 55 cards presenting vintage classic movies and their stars.
That’s Entertainment
A deck of 55 cards celebrating 20th Century vaudeville, musicals and cabaret.
Sweden playing cards
Named characters from Swedish history.
Romania playing cards
Romanian voivodes and their wives from the 15th and 16th centuries.
Le jeu des 7 Familles ’Utuafare
Colourful Happy Families game from Tahiti depicting costumes from different archipelagoes.
Hitchcock
A deck of 55 cards celebrating the master of mystery, murder and mayhem, Alfred Hitchcock.
Mohegan Sun playing cards
Mohegan Sun playing cards published by Gemaco for Mohegan Sun casino.
Heathen Wars
German-suited ‘Heathen War’ playing cards published by Joseph Fetscher, Munich, c.1820.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
Pack featuring six images from the Disney film of the same name, on cards made for Eastern Europe.
Pendleton playing cards
Pendleton playing cards inspired by indigenous American artwork, USA, 2019.
Winnie the Pooh Rummy
Disney’s Winnie the Pooh and friends on a pack made for Eastern Europe.
The Pack of Positivity
Katie Abey’s rainbow-coloured designs using crazy animals to convey motivating phrases.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Characters and scenes from the Disney film of the same name, on a pack made for Eastern Europe.
Malam playing cards
Malam playing cards created by Michael Muldoon, USA, 2015.
Disney Princess
Featuring Disney Princesses and Enchanting Tales in two sizes of pack made for Eastern Europe.
Mickey Mouse Rummy
Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and other Disney characters on a pack made for Eastern Europe.
Royal Hawaiian playing cards
Royal Hawaiian playing cards published by the Royal Hawaiian Playing Card Company, Honolulu.
Costumes des Peuples Étrangers
Costumes des Peuples Étrangers & Jeu d’Or dedicated to young people and likely used for games and fo...
Shamrock Irish Heritage playing cards
A celebration of some of Ireland’s most famous patriots, politicians and poets.
Lenormand Wahrsage-Karten No. 55
Conventional Lenormand designs on a pack from Piatnik but with unconventional numbering.
Race Card
‘Race Card’ playing cards published by the Concept Card Co., New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
Hawaiian playing cards
Hawaiian playing cards in the style of classic Hawaiian wood carvings, USA, 2015.
South American Costumes
Costumes of people of Brazil, Peru and Mexico, with views of Rio de Janeiro on the aces.
Budapest souvenir
Colour views of the Hungarian capital, Budapest, on all the courts and Aces.
Salmon Flies
Icelandic pack featuring a different salmon fly on every card.
Neiman Marcus playing cards
Cowboys and American Indians on a pack for Neiman Marcus, the Dallas department store.
Museo del Prado
Museo del Prado: Pintores y familias reales / Painters and royal families playing cards.
The Teddy deck
The Teddy deck designed by UK artist Peter Wood, 2004.
CCCP playing cards
Soviet and other Communist celebrities depicted on every card, designed by Vladislav Pankevitch.
Seven Seas Maori Playing Cards
A Gift from New Zealand
1906 Earthquake
Facts, figures, stories and scandals about the 1906 Earthquake published by the Golden Gate National...
African art playing cards
African art and symbolism on playing cards designed by John J. Beckvermit III, USA, 1994.
Pacific Northwest native Indian masks
Pacific Northwest native Indian masks with artwork by Margaret Parrott, USA, 1992.
Ethiopian playing cards
A pack with court cards reflecting different ethnic and cultural groups found in Ethiopia.
Bohemia Moravia
Historical figures from Bohemia and Moravia in Piatnik’s traditional style.