Basler Fasnachts-Karten
The Basler Fasnachts deck is designed each year by a different local artist.
Basler Fasnachts-Karten Playing Cards, 1987
See also: 1982 • 1983 • 1984 • 1985 • 1986 • 1988 • 1989
The Carnival of Basel (German: Basler Fasnacht) is the biggest carnival in Switzerland which takes place annually between February and March. A special deck is designed for the occasion by a local artist. The 1987 Basler Fasnachtskarten deck was designed by Marianne Pomeroy, successfully capturing the spirit of the carnival, the colourful costumes, masks and harlequins with flutes and drums, almost like Alice in Wonderland or a Disney animated movie. The participants toss confetti into the crowds and hand out sweets and other treats to the spectators. Wikipedia →
Above: the 12 court cards from the 1987 Basler Fasnachts-Karten deck designed by Marianne Pomeroy and printed by Müller A.G., Neuhausen a/R. 52 cards + 3 Jokers.
Above: all images courtesy Barney Townshend.
By Barney Townshend
United Kingdom • Member since October 06, 2015
Retired Airline Pilot, interested in: Transformation Playing Cards, Karl Gerich and Elaine Lewis. Secretary of the EPCS. Treasurer of the IPCS.
Activity for Basler Fasnachts-Karten
Sign in to comment or save this article.
Related Articles
Schweizer Trachten
Schweizer Trachten No.174 (Costumes Suisses) by Dondorf.
Carl Arnold Transformation
Transformation playing cards designed by Carl Johann Arnold (1829-1916), the court artist for King F...
Krienser Fasnachts-Jass 1988
The Krienser Fasnachts-Jass deck was designed and published by Léon Schnyder from Kriens for the 198...
Hycrest Modern Royalty
Published by the Hycrest Playing Card Co., New York, c.1931. The large suit symbol behind each figur...
Ritter & Cie, 1933
A colourful re-working of the standard Anglo-American pattern in Art Deco style.
Brussels Euro Joker Club 1998
Brussels Euro Joker Club's 10th Anniversary deck, with artwork by Yvette Cleuter, was produced in a ...
Ceska Graficka Unie AS
Playing Cards printed by Ceska Graficka Unie AS, Prague, Czechoslovakia, 1890-1925.
Luxus Club Karte No.184
Another of Dondorf's masterpieces of chromolithography, the detailed artwork on these cards has mult...
Carnival Playing Cards, 1925
The Carnival Playing Card deck designed by Harry D. Wallace (1892-1977) and first published in 1925....
Dilkhus playing cards for India
Van Genechten was one of the most competent cardmakers in Turnhout and they produced almost every ki...
Leonor Fini
The originality of Leonor Fini's work is evident in these playing card designs. The imagery of her p...
Salvador Dalí
Based on the standard French ‘Paris’ pattern, Dalí composed his playing card figures out of geometri...
Graciela Rodo Boulanger
Boulanger's paintings and graphic art works are easily recognized. The Latin American influence is a...
Karl Korab (Ed. Hilger)
Karl Korab was born in 1937 in Falkenstein (Lower Austria), the son of a forester. As a child he exp...
Arnold Schönberg
In around 1909 he created three sets of playing cards. His inventiveness was driven by a passion for...
Cashmere
Bernhard Altmann is from the “The House of Cashmere” and these playing cards honour their best known...
Karl Gerich No.1
The first entry in the catalogue, dating from c.1982, shows full-length figures with their symbols o...
Karl Gerich No.27
The courts are characters from Wagner's opera “The Ring of the Nibelungs”, beautifully etched and ha...
Gedimino Stulpai
Gedimino Stulpai playing cards made in Lithuania by Spindulys Printing Co., Kaunas, depicting Lithua...
The History of Playing Cards
Playing cards appear in European records in the late 14th century, but their earlier history lies fu...
Most Popular
Our top articles from the past 60 days
Peter Burnett
19 November 2025, 09:47SavedSaved this article to Peter's Collection