La Cour Galante
‘La Cour Galante’ playing cards with erotic images by Costante Costantini, Italy, 1979.
Published by Editions du Soleil-Lion (Solleone) in Milan, 1979, this pack presents humorous and mildly erotic figures in the style of wood-engravings by Costante Costantini (an artist born in Florence in 1921). It was produced in a limited edition of 2000 packs, and contains 52 cards plus 2 jokers and an information card. There are no corner indices. The cards measure 63 x 96 mm. and are wrapped in green card which depicts the sun above an image of a lion (Solleone). See the box►
The information card and the box both include “Editions du Soleil-Lion Ari’ et Terry”, a reference to Vito Arienti and Terry Humphreys (see here).
By Peter Burnett
Member since July 27, 2022
I graduated in Russian and East European Studies from Birmingham University in 1969. It was as an undergraduate in Moscow in 1968 that I stumbled upon my first 3 packs of “unusual” playing cards which fired my curiosity and thence my life-long interest. I began researching and collecting cards in the early 1970s, since when I’ve acquired over 3,330 packs of non-standard cards, mainly from North America, UK and Western Europe, and of course from Russia and the former communist countries.
Following my retirement from the Bodleian Library in Dec. 2007 I took up a new role as Head of Library Development at the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP) to support library development in low-income countries. This work necessitated regular training visits to many sub-Saharan African countries and also further afield, to Vietnam, Nepal and Bangladesh – all of which provided rich opportunities to further expand my playing card collection.
Since 2019 I’ve been working part-time in the Bodleian Library where I’ve been cataloguing the bequest of the late Donald Welsh, founder of the English Playing Card Society.
Related Articles
Woodblock and Stencil Jack of Clubs
A limited edition art print of the Jack of Clubs 1984 woodblock joker.
Woodblock and Stencil Queen of Clubs
A limited edition art print of the Queen 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 Joker
A limited edition art print of the 1984 woodblock joker.
Poker Lusso
Richly costumed courts on a luxury poker pack from Masenghini.
Manara: baraja de poker
Exotic illustrations by Italian comic book artist and writer Milo Manara.
Marmite
Fifty-Four images celebrating a UK savoury spread, that has been around one hundred and twenty two y...
Pinocchio playing cards
Comic book drawings inspired by Carlo Collodi’s children’s classic, Pinocchio.
Le Ore playing cards
Caricatures of famous personalities from the late 1970s for the Italian magazine Le Ore.
Carte Romantiche Italiane
Scenes of life and the theatre in Milan towards the second half of the 19th century.
Le Jeu des Musiciens
Artist Silvia Maddonni’s gently humorous take on musicians and their instruments.
Lo Stampatore
‘Lo Stampatore’ linocut images created by Sergio Favret, published as a deck of cards by Editions So...
Alice in Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland collector’s edition with illustrations of characters from the film, published by...
Ulysses a Vau-de-Ville
the James Joyce cards with drawings by Rosita Fanto.
Women by Royo
‘Women by Royo’ erotic playing cards published by Heraclio Fournier, Spain, 2001.
Transair
Humorous designs promoting Transair, a German charter flight operator.
Leonardo collection
Leonardo collection playing cards with drawings from his notebooks.
Lo Cartescacco / Chess playing cards
Playing cards designed by F. Romagnoli bringing together Chess and Bridge, Italy, c. 1981.
Hansaplast®
Advertising pack for Hansaplast, with comic courts sporting sticking plasters.
Bibaraja
Amusing designs of boys as circus performers by Alberto Muñiz Sánchez.
Pin-Ups
A deck of 55 cards celebrating a golden age of cheeky, naughty, bold and curvy ladies in film.
Il Vostro Destino
Italian fortune-telling pack produced by Viassone and later by Masenghini.
San Paolo Shakespeare
San Paolo Shakespeare, Italy, 1978
Le Carte di Forattini
Political caricatures by Giorgio Forattini published by Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, Italy, 1993.
San Paolo Chekhov
Characters from Chekhov’s plays designed by Paolo Fresu for San Paolo Istituto Bancario, Italy, c.19...
Storia del Fascismo - gioco di carte
‘Storia del Fascismo’ playing cards depicting persons, symbols and artifacts associated with Italian...
The Lovers playing cards
Reproductions of old postcards with romantic messages for Valentine’s Day.
I Gatti Originali di Evelyne Nicod
Etchings of cats on a set of major arcana created by Evelyne Nicod.
Politicards 2016 & Politikids 2016
Politicards™ 2016 & Politikids 2016: twin decks of satirical playing cards produced by Peter Green f...
Carte Osteologiche
Skulls and bones of all descriptions have become the suits and pips in this 40-card pack from Italy....
Marcello Morandini
Modern designs by Italian artist Marcello Morandini using the simplest of forms and colours.
Politicards 2008
Politicards ’08 with caricatures cast as characters from classic movies, USA.
Orientierungslauf Skat
Humorous designs by Helmut Härtelt on the subject of orienteering.
Politically Wild John McCain
“Politically Wild John McCain” published by Newt’s Playing Cards, USA, 2008.
Politicards 2004
Politicards 2004 with satirical cartoons by the award-winning illustrator Peter Green, USA.
Politicards 1971
Politicards 1971 for the presidential election in which Richard Nixon won a landslide victory.
Politicards 1984
Politicards 1984 with caricatures by Donald Gates, published by the Kamber Group, USA.
Tottering-by-Gently
‘Tottering-by-Gently’ playing cards with cartoons by Annie Tempest.
Keep-em honest playing cards
Keep-em honest playing cards designed by Chris Cooper and published by Dark Horse Deluxe.
Storia del Fascismo
Published by Il Meneghello, this pack provides a visual history of Fascism in Italy between 1919 and...
Jack-O’-Lantern Tarot
Giuliano Costa's Jack-O’-Lantern tarot blends Rider-Waite symbolism with the rich and atmospheric th...
Schwarze Katze (or Gioco del Gatto Nero)
Reproduction of a 40-card transformation pack with designs by “WS”, adapted for the game of Black Ca...
The Journey
‘The Journey’ limited edition playing cards produced by Peter Wood, UK, 2008.
Hot-Air Balloons & Co.
Hot-air balloons and airships from the early days to 1988, with designs by S. Baraldi and F. Tacconi...