Jean Borin
‘Cartes de Luxe’ with artwork by Belgian artist and designer Jean Borin (1907-1997).
‘Cartes de Luxe’ with artwork by Belgian artist and designer Jean Borin, born in Louvain in 1907 and died in 1997. He was a pupil of the Academy of Brussels and the School of Fine Arts of Etterbeek. The designs are a splendid elaboration of the typical Belgian pattern, along with coats of arms and an overall heraldic feel, including the box►
Above: ‘Cartes de Luxe’ with artwork by Belgian artist and designer Jean Borin (1907-1997), unknown manufacturer (possibly Draeger Frères), 52 cards + 2 jokers in double box.
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 Joker
A limited edition art print of the 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 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.
Louis De Poortere
Psychedelic designs promoting Louis De Poortere, a company selling carpets and rugs.
Pendleton playing cards
Pendleton playing cards inspired by indigenous American artwork, USA, 2019.
Een Kaartspel
Minimalist playing cards from The Netherlands
Old School Playing cards from Moon
Designed and published by Leo Scherfig
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...
Het Nest Brouwerij
Het Nest Brouwerij playing cards from Turnhout, Belgium.
Des Quatre Parties du Monde
Four Corners of the World fantasy playing cards by Daveluy, Bruges, Belgium, 1875-1880.
Baraja Española de Pintores Murcianos
A Spanish-suited pack as conceived by 48 different artists from the region of Murcia.
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...
Secretos de Oriente
Secrets of the Far East playing cards featuring the designs of Violeta Monreal , Spain, c. 1991.
Ases de la pintura / Masters of painting
Ases de la pintura / Masters of painting playing cards made by Naipes Comas, Spain, c.1990.
Sleeperhold Publications
Sleeperhold Publications collaborative art playing cards.
Commedia dell’Carte
Commedia dell’Carte political transformation cards illustrated by Stef van Stiphout, Belgium, 1977. ...
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.
Euro Playing Cards
New euro banknotes and coins from several countries on circular cards.
Maquettes for an unpublished WWI pack
Original designs depicting leaders and allegories from Russia, France, Great Britain and Belgium.
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
Belgian Souvenir playing cards
made in Germany by C.L. Wüst
Chinese Opera Masks Playing Cards 脸谱
Three different packs of cards featuring traditional Chinese face painting and Chinese opera masks.
-playing-cards-with-wüst-courts/images/rijks-1.ac058ff7.jpg "Oude Kunst (Old Art) playing cards with Wüst courts")
Oude Kunst (Old Art) playing cards with Wüst courts
made for export to the Netherlands.
Isle of Man playing cards made by Glénisson of Turnhout
Two souvenir packs with different court cards made by Glénisson for the Isle of Man, c.1880.
Bon Gout No.11 with Crimean War aces
Made by Mesmaekers & Moentack of Turnhout.
Scouting playing cards
Cartoon-style illustrations promoting a Belgian organisation for scouts and guides.
Neptune No.105 Playing Cards
An exotic pack made by A.Van Genechten of Turnhout
Sigma Coatings
Advertising pack for a company supplying marine paints.
Lost Boys
Designs created on the occasion of a chess tournament in Antwerp, 1997.
Les Cartes pour l'Égalité
Playing cards for gender equality, created on the 500th anniversary of classic French cards
Playing cards in Russian life
Playing cards in Russian life - Karty v zhizni Rossii - published by Aleksandr Lutkovskii in 2004.
Jeep Playing cards
Pack of cards celebrating Allied Victory in the Second World War.
San Playing Cards
Rock paintings and engravings of the San people, better known as the “Bushmen”.
Dutch costume playing cards from an unknown maker
Another pack of Dutch costume playing cards c.1880.
Dutch costume playing cards
Dutch costume playing cards made for the Dutch market in the second half of the 19th century.
Müller: Richelieu
This deck is named after Armand Jean du Plessis de Richelieu, Cardinal-Duc de Richelieu (1585-1642),...