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


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.

REFERENCES
Images courtesy Rex Pitts.
Russian Academy of Arts: Valery Mishin Exhibition►
Mishin Valerii: Ex Libris Exhibition►

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.
Trending Articles
Popular articles from the past 28 days
Related Articles

Woodblock and Stencil King of Diamonds
A limited edition art print of the King of Diamonds 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 Jack of Clubs
A limited edition art print of the Jack of Clubs 1984 woodblock joker.

Woodblock and Stencil Joker
A limited edition art print of the 1984 woodblock joker.

Branle playing cards
‘Branle’ playing cards inspired by a 12th-century dance, produced by Noir Arts, USA, 2015.

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.

Old School Playing cards from Moon
Designed and published by Leo Scherfig

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Characters and scenes from the Disney film of the same name, on a pack made for Eastern Europe.

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.

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.

Tarot of the Thousand and One Nights (1001 Nights Tarot)
This tarot deck captures the idealised Eastern world's magic from the eighteenth and nineteenth cent...

ORIENT The Queen of Cards
A unique Art creation of Subho Tagore

Newtropolis and the Fantastic Fur
Newtropolis and the Fantastic Fur: Heroes vs. Villains playing cards illustrated by Peter Wood, 2015...

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.

Baraja Española de Pintores Murcianos
A Spanish-suited pack as conceived by 48 different artists from the region of Murcia.

Neiman Marcus playing cards
Cowboys and American Indians on a pack for Neiman Marcus, the Dallas department store.

Le Jeu d’Issy
Bold designs by Jacques Auriac representing people and enterprises for which the town of Issy-les-Mo...

Bilder zum Tarot
Detailed pen and ink drawings of the major arcana by the German artist Helmut Wonschick.

Le Jeu de la Chance
Original designs by French artist Jean Vérame, with clubs replaced by four-leaf clovers to bring goo...

Theatre of Pain / Teatr Boli
Theatre of Pain / Teatr boli playing cards depicting politicians and leaders in the Caucasus territo...

Secretos de Oriente
Secrets of the Far East playing cards featuring the designs of Violeta Monreal , Spain, c. 1991.

Museo del Prado
Museo del Prado: Pintores y familias reales / Painters and royal families playing cards.

Ases de la pintura / Masters of painting
Ases de la pintura / Masters of painting playing cards made by Naipes Comas, Spain, c.1990.

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.

1906 Earthquake
Facts, figures, stories and scandals about the 1906 Earthquake published by the Golden Gate National...

Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Modern Art playing cards designed by Takenobu Igarashi.

Festa Major de Vilafranca 1988
Colourful figures associated with the annual festival held in Vilafranca, Catalonia.

Russian criminal tattoos and playing cards
Russian criminal tattoos and playing cards, United Kingdom, 2018.

Bohemia Moravia
Historical figures from Bohemia and Moravia in Piatnik’s traditional style.

Crystal Time
Colourful and attractive designs by Violeta Monreal, inspired by stained glass through the ages.

Lidia Schöffer art-deco playing cards
A prize winning design from The Netherlands

World of the New Russians
‘World of the New Russians’ (Mir novykh russkikh) satirical playing cards, 2002.

Golden Boys
Players from the 1998 Czech Olympic ice hockey team with photography by Jiří Koliš.

C-Arts
Collective Arts pack designed by sixty-three collaborating artists, illustrators and designers, Russ...

Ministry of Emergency Situations
Emergency response playing cards published by the Kombinat Tsvetnoi Pechati (Colour Printing Combine...

Castle Rock Club
Castle Rock Club playing cards featuring Russian rock stars and musicians, c. 2000.