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Ethiopian

Published December 11, 2020 Updated March 02, 2023

Ethiopian playing cards designed for the Ethiopian Tourist Organization by Afewerk Teklé.

1970 Africa Ethiopia Afewerk Teklé Ethnic & Indigenous Souvenir Stained-Glass
Ethiopian playing cards designed for the Ethiopian Tourist Organization by Afewerk Teklé

Ethiopian playing cards designed for the Ethiopian Tourist Organization by Afewerk Teklé, incorporating decorative motifs from Ethiopia’s historic and contemporary identity. According to Ethiopian tradition, a portrait printed in profile represents either the devil or one possessed by evil. Therefore all profile face cards have been rendered in semi-profile. See the extra card

Afewerk Teklé (1932-2012) was an Ethiopian artist, particularly known for his paintings on African and Christian themes as well as his stained glass  more

Ethiopian playing cards designed for the Ethiopian Tourist Organization by Afewerk Teklé
Ethiopian playing cards designed for the Ethiopian Tourist Organization by Afewerk Teklé

Above: Ethiopian playing cards designed for the Ethiopian Tourist Organization by Afewerk Teklé. Manufacturer uncertain but probably Waddingtons, c.1970s.

Ethiopia is considered one of the earliest sites of the emergence of anatomically modern humans, Homo sapiens. See Wikipedia

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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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