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Published February 05, 2018 Updated May 29, 2022

Cosmopolitan № 2121 playing cards

“Cosmopolitan” № 2121 playing cards designed by Russian artist Valeri Mishin, 1996

1996 Austria Russia Piatnik Valery Mishin Art & Design Add to Collection

Cosmopolitan № 2121 playing cards were designed by Russian graphic artist Valeri Mishin from St. Petersburg and published by Piatnik in 1996. The imagery presents something of the artist’s allegorical dreamworld, or alternative reality, as open political comment had been muted for some time in Russia. See the Box

“Cosmopolitan” № 2121 playing cards designed by Russian artist Valeri Mishin, 1996
“Cosmopolitan” № 2121 playing cards designed by Russian artist Valeri Mishin, 1996

Above: “Cosmopolitan” № 2121 playing cards designed by Russian artist Valeri Mishin, published in double boxed sets with matching backs 2x[52 cards + 3 jokers], by Ferd Piatnik 1996.

“Cosmopolitan” № 2121 playing cards designed by Russian artist Valeri Mishin, 1996

REFERENCES

Images courtesy Rex Pitts.

Russian Academy of Arts: Valery Mishin Exhibition

Mishin Valerii: Ex Libris Exhibition

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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.


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