Le jeu des 7 Familles ’Utuafare
Colourful Happy Families game from Tahiti depicting costumes from different archipelagoes.
In Tahitian, 'Utuafare means ‘family’ or ‘household’. This locally produced card game comprises seven families named after seven of the archipelagoes which make up French Polynesia. Different costumes associated with each archipelago are featured, with a different background colour for each set of six cards. The card titles are in French and Tahitian. The cards themselves have square corners. The name of the printer – distribution image & musique (DIM) – is repeated multiple times on the reverse.
Above: Le jeu des 7 Familles ’Utuafare card game made by DIM & STP-Multipress, Fenua (local name for Tahiti). Date unknown. 42 cards in tuck box. Size: 60 x 90 mm.
• See the box►
By Roddy Somerville
Member since May 31, 2022
Roddy started collecting stamps on his 8th birthday. In 1977 he joined the newly formed playing-card department at Stanley Gibbons in London before setting up his own business in Edinburgh four years later. His collecting interests include playing cards, postcards, stamps (especially playing cards on stamps) and sugar wrappers. He is a Past President of the Scottish Philatelic Society, a former Chairman of the IPCS, a Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards and Curator of the WCMPC’s collection of playing cards. He lives near Toulouse in France.
Trending Articles
Popular articles from the past 28 days
Related Articles
Woodblock and Stencil Jack of Hearts
A limited edition art print of the Jack of Hearts 1984 woodblock joker.
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.
Classic Card Games for Kids
A boxed set of playing cards, Happy Families and an alphabet pack with rules for 22 games.
Le jeu des 7 Familles ’Utuafare
Colourful Happy Families game from Tahiti depicting costumes from different archipelagoes.
Mohegan Sun playing cards
Mohegan Sun playing cards published by Gemaco for Mohegan Sun casino.
Heathen Wars
German-suited ‘Heathen War’ playing cards published by Joseph Fetscher, Munich, c.1820.
Pendleton playing cards
Pendleton playing cards inspired by indigenous American artwork, USA, 2019.
Malam playing cards
Malam playing cards created by Michael Muldoon, USA, 2015.
Costumes des Peuples Étrangers
Costumes des Peuples Étrangers & Jeu d’Or dedicated to young people and likely used for games and fo...
Race Card
‘Race Card’ playing cards published by the Concept Card Co., New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
Hawaiian playing cards
Hawaiian playing cards in the style of classic Hawaiian wood carvings, USA, 2015.
South American Costumes
Costumes of people of Brazil, Peru and Mexico, with views of Rio de Janeiro on the aces.
Seven Seas Maori Playing Cards
A Gift from New Zealand
African art playing cards
African art and symbolism on playing cards designed by John J. Beckvermit III, USA, 1994.
Pacific Northwest native Indian masks
Pacific Northwest native Indian masks with artwork by Margaret Parrott, USA, 1992.
Ethiopian playing cards
A pack with court cards reflecting different ethnic and cultural groups found in Ethiopia.
Jeu de 7 Familles France 98
Families card game with comic designs featuring seven of the teams competing in the 1998 World Cup. ...
Jeu de Familles Les Pierrafeu®
Quartet game featuring The Flintstones and friends.
Jeu de Cartes de Tahiti
Courts and Aces inspired by Polynesian history and culture designed by Michèle Feltrin.
Alternative Happy Families
An updated, 1980s-style “Alternative Happy Families” game.
Nipponia Playing Cards
Nipponia Playing Cards are a Japanese-themed playing cards featuring samurai, kunoichi and oiran. De...
Maori playing cards
Maori playing cards from New Zealand.
The Times of Kamehameha The Great
Figures from Hawaiian history and scenes of everyday life designed by Joseph Feher.
Politically Incorrect Happy Families
A Happy Families set with many differences from a conventional one.
Africa playing cards
According to the United Nations there are 54 countries on the continent of Africa
Drum playing cards
Drum playing cards depicting demographically diverse Africans of different ethnicities.
African Renaissance Deck
African Renaissance Deck published for Nkosi's Haven, South Africa, 2000.
Traditional Nomadic Life of Mongolia
Playing cards depicting paintings of Traditional Nomadic Life of Mongolia.
Playing cards from Suriname
Playing cards reflecting the history and culture of Suriname, on the northeastern coast of South Ame...
Karata playing cards
Karata playing cards produced in Nairobi, c. 1970.
Tanisa cartes à jouer
“Tanisa cartes à jouer” published by Colormad, Madagascar.
Habesha playing cards
Habesha playing cards published by “Ethiopian Reflection”
Hotel Lena
Hotel Lena playing cards published by Bichik in Yakutsk in 2001.
Juego de Naipes Andalusí
Andalusian playing cards designed by Marifé Montoya Carrillo with booklet by Jorge Lirola Delgado, 2...
Inka Naipe Souvenir
54 colour photographs of costumes and artefacts connected with the Inca civilisation, unknown publis...
San Playing Cards
Rock paintings and engravings of the San people, better known as the “Bushmen”.
Martinique
Original designs from the French overseas department of Martinique by local artist Martine Porry.
Happy Playing Cards
Cheerful, colourful designs on handmade paper from Nepal.
Estonian Ethnographic Playing Cards
Estonian national costumes and everyday items feature on this pack made in Estonia.
Ganjifa™
A colourful pack of round cards with Ganjifa designs by Asha Industries, Mumbai, India, 2002.
Playing Cards from Mauritius
Pack designed for La Maison de L’Artisanat Ltée, Mauritius, by Hervé de Cotter.
Handmade playing cards
Non-standard designs on Nepalese handmade paper for Pilgrims Book House, Kathmandu, Nepal, c.2000.