Liber Ludorum

Designed in 2019 by Cumbrian artist Ian Cumpstey and published by crowd-sourcing via Kickstarter, Liber Ludorum is a deck of playing cards created in the insular art style, as seen in gospel books of medieval Ireland and Britain. The characteristic decorative patterns, calligraphic texts, and illustrative styles of these manuscripts are easily recognisable, and together make up what is now usually called the insular style. The Lindisfarne Gospels and the Book of Kells are no doubt the most famous of the insular gospel books.

The Liber Ludorum playing cards are a set of cards drawn in the style of an insular gospel book, with aces resembling the so-called carpet pages, and the court cards inspired by evangelist portraits. See the box

The 2-10 pip cards are standard. The jacks and kings tend mainly to be engaged in play in one way or another, while the queens embody different forms of fate or fortune. The aces are full-card patterns reminiscent of the gospel carpet pages. Each of the suits has its own colour scheme, and each has a dominant pattern of knots, mazes, spirals, or birds, as well as a tiled pattern. The main source for the patterns was the Lindisfarne Gospels.

Above: Liber Ludorum created by Ian Cumpstey and published by crowd-sourcing via Kickstarter, 2019. Printed by Cartamundi, 52 poker-sized playing cards plus 4 bonus cards (2.5" x 3.5").

References

Kickstarter: Liber Ludorum playing cards►

A “special edition” of this pack was produced in 2023. For a video of the artist describing the special edition please see here►