Palekh by Aleksey Orleansky
In the style of religious icon paintings, these court card figures wear costumes reminiscent of the mid-17th century.
Right: one of the Jokers and the two extra cards from “Palekh” traditional style Russian playing cards with artwork by Aleksey Orleansky, printed by the Colour Printing Plant, 1995. 52 cards + 2 Jokers + 2 extra cards in single or double boxes.
Above: four back designs.
Supplement
The Colour Printing Plant edition unfortunately contained some distorted colours. Orleansky issued a second edition of the deck in 2015. The deck has 36 cards, 2 jokers and three extra cards.
IMAGE CREDITS
All images courtesy Valentin Krasavin.
By Simon Wintle
Member since February 01, 1996
View ArticlesCurator and editor of the World of Playing Cards since 1996. He is a former committee member of the IPCS and was graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal for many years. He has lived at various times in Chile, England and Wales and is currently living in Extremadura, Spain. Simon's first limited edition pack of playing cards was a replica of a seventeenth century traditional English pack, which he produced from woodblocks and stencils.
Leave a Reply
Recommended
Hotel Lena
Hotel Lena playing cards published by Bichik in Yakutsk in 2001.
Peterhof souvenir playing cards
Peterhof souvenir playing cards (Petergof suvenirnye igral’nye karty) published by Mednyi Vsadnik (Bronze Horseman), St. Petersburg.
Pushkin
Pack designed by M. Rydaeva celebrating the 200th anniversary of Alexander Pushkin’s birth.
Dolls Gallery
Dolls Gallery / Galereia kukol : karty igral’nye / published by Varvara Skripkina, 2003.
Treasures of the Russian Museum
Treasures of the Russian Museum / Russkii Muzei : suvenirnye igral’nye karty.
Russian Cities Coats-of-Arms
Rossiia / Municipal Coats-of-Arms of Russian Federation.
Matryoshka playing cards
The first nested doll set was carved in 1890.
Palekh and Kholui lacquer miniatures
Palekh and Kholui lacquer miniatures.
Playing cards in Russian life
Playing cards in Russian life - Karty v zhizni Rossii - published by Aleksandr Lutkovskii in 2004.
Spot the Difference
Spot the Difference playing cards published in "Razvlekatel’naia Gazetka" newspaper, 1998-1999.
The world’s smallest playing cards
Samye malen’kie v mire igral’nye karty / The world’s smallest playing cards
Hunting playing cards
Hunting playing cards / “Okhotnich’i karty” with illustrations by the court artist Mihály Zichy.
Russian Emperors
Russian Emperors playing cards / “Rossiiskie imperatory karty igral’nye” produced and illustrated by Aleksei Orleanskii, 2006.
Russian Beer
Russian Beer playing cards / “Russkoe pivo karty igral’nye” produced in 2006
Dead Souls
Dead Souls, or “Mertvye dushi igral’nye karty” produced in 2006 by Aleksei Orleanskii.
Miniature French fashion playing cards
Tiny 19th.century ‘Cartes Mignonnes’ playing cards depicting the fashions of the period
Trajes Regionais Portugueses
Portuguese regional costumes published by the French division of Banco Pinto & Sotto Mayor.
Romȃnia Playing Cards
Playing cards featuring traditional folk costumes from Romania.
Dutch costume playing cards from an unknown maker
Another pack of Dutch costume playing cards c.1880.
Estonian Ethnographic Playing Cards
Estonian national costumes and everyday items feature on this pack made in Estonia.
Dutch costume playing cards
Dutch costume playing cards made for the Dutch market in the second half of the 19th century.
Korchma Taras Bulba
The first of two decks designed by Ukrainian illustrator Vladislav Erko for “Korchma Taras Bulba” restaurant which serves traditional Ukrainian cuisine
Müller: Richelieu
This deck is named after Armand Jean du Plessis de Richelieu, Cardinal-Duc de Richelieu (1585-1642), a French Roman Catholic Clergyman and statesman, Chief Adviser to King Louis XIII, noted for the authoritarian measures he employed to maintain power.
Schweizer Trachten
Schweizer Trachten No.174 (Costumes Suisses) by Dondorf.
Newsletter: Costume & Fashion as Revealed in Playing Cards
In this newsletter we’re looking at how fashion and costume is represented through playing card art since the 14th century through to today.
Folk Cards
Folk Cards designed by Krystyna Gruchalska-Bunsch for Lot Polish Airlines, 1962.
Andere Zeiten - Andere Kleider
‘History of fashion’ cultural quartet game designed by Erika Werner-Nestler, 1954.
Netherlands Kostuum Kwartet
Dutch costumes quartet game designed by Gerard Huijg, 1983.
Österreichisches Trachten-quartett
Österreichisches Trachten-quartett Nr.282 published by Ferd Piatnik & Söhne.
Chinese Costumes
Chinese Costumes from the Winterthur Collection, published by Fournier, 1984.
Fancy Dress Ball
Spear’s “Fancy Dress Ball” card game with children dressed in period costumes, 1930s.
Bathing Beauties
Bathing Beauties throughout the ages, published in Hungary, 1967.
New Figures by A. I. Charlemagne, 1862
“Renaissance” playing card designs by A I Charlemagne, 1862.
Casais Portugueses
Matching game by Majora, Lisbon, c.1970, featuring figures in national dress from Portuguese provinces and colonies
The Four Worlds
The Four Worlds playing cards by artist Aleksey Zhiryakov in the stylistic traditions of Palekh, 2018.
Ken McCarthy
An unknown deck by Ken McCarthy, c.2018.
Mary Queen of Scots
Mary Queen of Scots and other Tudor period dignitaries, published by Piatnik, 1990.
Bharata Playing Cards
Bharata Playing Cards - Series 2, based on Indian folk art, published by Sunish Chabba, 2018.
Cosmopolitan № 2121 playing cards
“Cosmopolitan” № 2121 playing cards designed by Russian artist Valeri Mishin, 1996
Fashion Face Off
“Fashion Face Off” card game illustrated by Erin Petson for Laurence King Publishing, c.2011.