The World of Playing Cards Logo

Cassandre for Hermès

Published April 06, 2013 Updated September 20, 2024

Promotional playing cards created by A. M. Cassandre (pseudonym of Adolphe Jean-Marie Mouron, 1901-1968) with abstract, almost surrealist figures and ornamentation, but clearly inspired by medieval art and rendered into an Art Deco style.

1948 France Draeger Frères Cassandre Art Deco

Promotional playing cards created for the famous Parisian store by A. M. Cassandre (pseudonym of Adolphe Jean-Marie Mouron, 1901-1968) with abstract, almost surrealist figures and ornamentation inspired by medieval art and rendered into an Art Deco idiom. His sensibility was also influenced by cubism, yet his aesthetic was superbly original.

Cassandre was a Ukrainian-French painter, commercial poster artist, and typeface designer. He created an enormous corpus of graphically groundbreaking work, including travel posters, typefaces, and advertising. In 1963 he designed the well-known Yves Saint-Laurent logo. These cards are from the original 1948 edition of playing cards designed by Cassandre for Hermès-Paris and made by Draeger Frères, also of Paris.

cards from the original 1948 edition of the set designed by Cassandre for Hermès-Paris

Above: cards from the original 1948 edition of the deck designed by Cassandre for Hermès, Paris and made by Draeger Frères, also of Paris. The cards were sold as a double deck set with each deck in its own tuck case and both tuck cases housed in a larger plain brown box with Hermes name and address on it. The tuck boxes are printed, front and back, with the back design of the cards. Images from the collection of Rod Starling.

avatar
94 Articles

By Rod Starling (1936-2023)

Member since January 09, 2013

Rod Starling was one of the founding members of the 52 Plus Joker card collectors club. He authored many articles for the club's quarterly newsletter, Clear the Decks. His collection encompasses both foreign and American decks. Rod also authored a book titled The Art and Pleasures of Playing Cards.


Leave a Reply

Default Avatar
Your Name
Just now

Create account to comment Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here. Your comment here.


Related Articles

1690 Archaic Franco-Spanish pattern

Archaic Franco-Spanish pattern

Archaic Franco-Spanish pattern by Guillaume & Jean Grossard (Bordeaux).

1972 Les Jeux de Pastor

Les Jeux de Pastor

Striking designs by Edouard Pastor focusing on the heads of figures from the medieval period.

1971 Le Jeu des Personnages de l’Antiquité et du Moyen-Age

Le Jeu des Personnages de l’Antiquité et du Moyen-Age

Edouard Pastor’s designs in black and gold inspired by Antiquity and the Middle Ages.

Rouen Pattern  - Portrait Rouennais

Rouen Pattern - Portrait Rouennais

An attractive XV century French-suited design from Rouen became the standard English & Anglo-America...

1708 Archaic Spanish proof sheets

Archaic Spanish proof sheets

2 x uncoloured proof sheets of archaic Spanish-suited playing cards produced for “New Spain”, possib...

1880 English Pattern by B.P. Grimaud

English Pattern by B.P. Grimaud

Standard English pattern published by B.P. Grimaud with engraving by F. Simon, c.1880.

1965 Jeu de Tarot (Catel & Farcy)

Jeu de Tarot (Catel & Farcy)

Colourful version of a standard French (‘Bourgeois’) Tarot.

1972 Smith-Corona Marchant

Smith-Corona Marchant

Simplified yet colourful court card designs by Avoine for Smith-Corona Marchant.

1975 Redrawn French pattern (Héron)

Redrawn French pattern (Héron)

Redrawn French pattern retaining traditional elements.

1965 7 Familles Le Manège Enchanté

7 Familles Le Manège Enchanté

The Magic Roundabout characters on a jeu de 7 familles designed by James Hodges.

2024 Paris 2024 Olympics 3

Paris 2024 Olympics 3

Paris Games mascot Phryge engaged in different sports in a Happy Families-type game.

2024 Paris 2024 Olympics 2

Paris 2024 Olympics 2

A standard French Tarot game pack with passing references to the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games.

2024 Paris 2024 Olympics 1

Paris 2024 Olympics 1

Modern Paris pattern courts, special ace and jokers for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

2024 Tarot – Images du Pays Basque

Tarot – Images du Pays Basque

Seventy-eight photographic images of the French Basque Country on a pack for playing the game of Tar...

Classification of Numeral Card Designs in French-suited packs

Classification of Numeral Card Designs in French-suited packs

The classification of numeral cards in French-suited packs, covering various pip designs in over 400...

2024 Holidays – les côtes françaises

Holidays – les côtes françaises

Holiday destinations around the French coast as depicted by Pauline Launay.