Le carte da gioco Arcimboldo
Courts and suit-signs inspired by the works of the Italian Renaissance painter, Giuseppe Arcimboldo.
Giuseppe Arcimboldo (1527-1593) was an Italian Renaissance painter best known for his portrait heads made entirely of fruits, vegetables, flowers, fish and books. Twelve of those portraits can be found in full colour on the courts of this pack, with another in black and white on the Jokers. Adding to the fun are the suit-signs: hearts have become aubergines, clubs are flowers, diamonds are noses, and spades have been replaced by artichokes. These four non-standard suit-signs also make up the pattern on the reverse. The idea for the pack came from a publicity agency in Turin called Eco Pubblicità e Marketing.
Above: Le carte da gioco Arcimboldo designed by Eco Pubblicità e Marketing, Turin, Italy. Printed by T. Dal Negro, Treviso, Italy, 1987. 2 x 52 cards + 2 Jokers + 1 extra card with text in Italian, in plastic tray within a cardboard box. Size: 63 x 88 mm.
By Roddy Somerville
France • 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.
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